Hate's Sister
by Arianmaiden
Summary: Natsume is the artist at the top of the charts. Mikan is just trying to get through the day. She doesn't hate the famous guy from her hometown because he has it all. She hates him because he is a cocky jerk and a pervert. And yes, it is hate... Right?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This popped into my head after a trip west and multiple hours with my sister and Justin Bieber. Playing. Continuously. So… here you go! I'm using Justin Bieber's songs because it was him who gave me the idea for this story. And, Natsume is not Justin Bieber. For one thing, he doesn't sing in a high voice. For another, he has a lot less haters. So don't tell me he needs to wear a hat, or that his favorite color is purple, or that he needs to do the whole 'one less lonely girl' thing. I get enough of that from my sister. **

**Gakuen Alice is all mine. Unfortunately, this is a fictional story…**

**And, this chapter had to be typed twice. Because apparently, if you accidentally push random buttons of the keyboard, an entire document that you are working on can disappear. And I type slowly. **

**And, I know I put too many comma's in my sentences. So I apologize for my comma fetish.**

**~Arian**

They were screaming my name, the chant growing louder and louder. My stomach turned. Odd, I thought I usually don't get nervous. Oh well, maybe it was something I ate. The noise was almost deafening at this point, it sounded like they would tear me to shreds. Actually, given the chance, a large amount of them probably would. I listened to the sound. "Nat-su-me! Nat-su-me! Nat-su-me!"

"Natsume!" This one broke the pattern. I turned, glad to see Misaki rushing down the hall, her reddish hair twisted up into a messy bun. She was my manager as well as my bodyguard. If any rabid fangirl tried to attack me, she would be taken down pretty quickly. I had seen Misaki in action, and she could take down several men at once.

"Misaki." I wasn't big on affection.

"Here's your mike, the band is already setting up, you need to be on stage in 12 minutes. Here is the final song listing." She handed me a slip of paper and continued, "You should be ready for your cue, but you did fine in rehearsals." She glanced up and swore. "I told him not to put the spotlight there..." She headed for the ladder, still muttering to herself. I felt sorry for whichever lighting technician pissed her off.

I glanced at the paper in my hand. I hadn't released any new albums while on my world tour, so this was basically the same as my last concert. Now that school was starting, the tour was over, even though I skip school the majority of the time anyway. It was good to be home.

…

This annoying witch was chattering my ear off. 'Oh, Natsume loves me', and 'Natsume takes me out on the best dates', and 'Natsume is so romantic'. I love my best friend like a brother, but I was ready to strangle him for putting me on Luna duty. Being around the owner of the high-pitched voice describing what Natsume did in her dream last night just wasn't my idea of a good time.

"You know Ruka, if you acted more like Natsume, you could have a girlfriend as great as me too. Natsume makes the best boyfriend. Well, not as great as me. No one could be as amazing as me." _Or as pathetic._

I sighed and slid open my phone. Koko had speed dial number three, and he was who I texted. "get here NOW." I figured he should help; he was the one who dared Natsume to date her.

After a minute, Sumire showed up. "Koko said you needed me?"

"Could you pretty please babysit Luna?" I gave her my best puppy dog eyes.

Sumire paused and looked at me. Then her eyes turned cold and she must have blocked out her sympathetic instinct. "No."

"Please? I don't think I can hold up much longer. She was… becoming descriptive about her fantasies again." I barely suppressed a shudder.

I could tell her will power to refuse me was weakening. Sumire knew how disgustingly crude Luna could be. "You are going to owe me for this. You will owe me big time."

"Thank you! As soon as the show starts, I'll be back!" I rushed away before she could change her mind. I didn't need to turn around to know she was glaring at me.

….

I stood on the stage hidden behind a large amp. The lights turned off, the amphitheater went black, and the voices dropped away. The bassist played one low chord, and the drums started to beat. Under the cover of darkness I walked out and stood center stage. I pulled the microphone to my lips.

"Oh! Wooah..."

I almost winced at the reply I got. The instant roar shattered my eardrums and then some. The lights came on.

"For you I'd write a symphony  
>I'd tell the violin<br>It's time to sink or swim  
>Watch him play for you<p>

For you I'd be  
>Running a thousand miles<br>Just get you where you are  
>Step to the beat of my heart<p>

I don't need a whole lot  
>But for you I admit I<br>Rather give you the world  
>Or we can share mine<p>

I know that I won't be the first one  
>Giving you all this attention<br>But baby listen

I just need somebody to love  
>I don't need too much<p>

Just need somebody to love  
>I don't need nothing else<br>I promise girl, I swear  
>I just need somebody to love<p>

I need somebody I-I need somebody  
>I need somebody I-I need somebody"<p>

Reo joined me on stage, and started singing his own verse. This song was one of the first I ever wrote after becoming well known.

"Every day I bring the sun around  
>I sweep away the clouds<br>Smile for me  
>I would take" I joined him on the next line, overlaying his voice with mine.<br>"Every second, every single time  
>Spend it like my last dime<br>Step to the beat of my heart

I don't need a whole lot  
>But for you I admit I<br>Rather give you the world  
>Or we can share mine<p>

I know I won't be the first one  
>Giving you all this attention<br>But baby listen"

Now we sang together, switching off the vocals and the actual lyrics. Our voices blended nicely, the result of many hours of practice. Practice usually enforced by Misaki. Painfully enforced.

"I just need somebody to love  
>I don't need too much<br>Just need somebody to love

I don't need nothing else  
>I promise girl, I swear<br>I just need somebody to love

I need somebody I-I need somebody  
>I need somebody I-I need somebody<br>I need somebody I-I need somebody  
>I need somebody I-I need somebody<p>

And you can have it all  
>Anything you want I can bring<br>Give you the finer things, yeah  
>But what I really want<p>

I can't find 'cause, money can't find me  
>Somebody to love<p>

Find me somebody to love

I need somebody to love  
>I-I don't need too much<br>Just somebody to love  
>Somebody to love<p>

I don't need  
>nothing else<p>

I promise girl I swear

I just need somebody to love

I need somebody, I-I need somebody  
>I need somebody, I-I need somebody<p>

I need somebody, I-I need somebody  
>I need somebody<p>

I-I need somebody  
>Oh oh oh oh oh...<p>

Is she out there  
>Is she out there<p>

I just need somebody to love"

…

I leaned towards Ruka. He had kept his word and retrieved Luna after the show started. "Does Natsume look… on edge to you?" I asked quietly. "He normally looks more composed."

Ruka nodded his head slightly. "I was wondering about that myself. Maybe it's just Luna?"

"Huh. And I thought nothing could faze him. At least the bet will be off soon."

…

I walked off stage. Ruka, Koko, and Sumire ran up to me.

"Great show, Natsume!"

I was about to respond to Ruka when Luna attacked me, squealing. Her strawberry blonde hair smelled like it had been freshly dyed. Nothing was real about her. Especially her 'enhanced' breasts that she was rubbing up against me. Damn, she was heavy!

"Natsume that was soooo amazing! You looked so hot up there! All the other girls were screaming for you but I was screaming the loudest! Could you hear me Natsume? I bet you loved hearing me scream for you!" All this was said in the space of four seconds.

I was about to shove her off me when I noticed Koko watching hopefully. So I hugged her back. Briefly. Sumire pulled Luna off me, scowling.

"You looked awesome, man!" Koko's cheerful grin was almost sickening. "Aren't you glad your girlfriend could see your concert?" _And the last one, and the one before that…_

"I did my best because I knew she was watching." I said this with a smile, but, other than Luna, my friends knew it was sarcasm. I punched Koko. Made it look like a friendly, playful punch. But I got satisfaction from the wince on his face.

I looked up. Plain brown hair fell into my mud brown eyes. I finished washing my hands. As soon as I opened the door, however, I jumped back into the bathroom. It was too loud out there. Was Hyuuga really that famous?

_Flashback_

"Please? Please pleasepleasepleaseplease pleeeeeeaaaaase?"

"Please Mikan? Please take us to a Natsume Hyuuga concert?" That was my Hikaru, calmly stating what she wanted.

"Pleasepleaseplease please pleaseplease please please pleasepleasepleaseplease…" And that was Aoi, who I didn't always want to claim as mine, practically bouncing off the walls.

I held up my hand. "Stop!" Aoi skidded to a halt. "Why do you guys want to go see his concert?" He wasn't a bad singer, he just didn't seem to be anything special. I couldn't fathom why anyone would want to pay all that money.

"Because it is my duty as his future wife. I need to go to at least one of his concerts."

I glanced at Aoi. "How much older than you is he? And why do you want to go, Hikaru?"

"I like his songs and I've never been to a real concert." It was true, both the girls had all his songs on their iPods, and we didn't usually spend money on stuff like this.

Aoi wasn't happy with my implication. "It doesn't matter that he's older! He loves me anyway! When he sees me…" she walked off, talking to herself.

"Please, onee-chan?" Hikaru looked at me with huge blue eyes. I ruffled her curly blonde hair.

"Sure."

_End Flashback_

I had said sure, but the tickets had, apparently, been sold out. So I talked to the one person I knew who had enough connections to get the tickets.

_Flashback_

"Umm…. Hotaru?" No answer. I tried knocking on the heavy steel lab door again. I sang cautiously, "Ho-tar-u?" I was a little worried; if she was annoyed she would be volatile. And that's a side of her you don't want to see.

"What do you want baka?"

I shifted nervously. "I need a favor. Can I come in?" A robot opened the door. "I need tickets to the Natsume Hyuuga concert." I tried to hide my burning face, ducking my head shamefully. "It's for them- Aoi and Hikaru. I'll pay for the tickets, but I promised to get them, and they're all sold out."

Hotaru made a tsking sound. "You shouldn't make promises until you're confident you can keep them." She picked up a phone to her left and quickly dialed a number. Whoever was on the other side must have picked up pretty quickly, because Hotaru immediately started speaking. "This is Imai. I have need of that favor. I will email you, be ready to finalize my request." She then shut her phone, effectively ending the conversation. She went to work at her computer and I felt my attention drifting. I started to wander around her room, looking at various parts and inventions. Hotaru truly was a genius, albeit a sometimes evil one, but a genius.

"Here." My best friend's voice, in the stillness of the workshop, made me jump. I turned around to see her holding out six pieces of paper.

"What? I only need two…" I looked at the slips. Three were tickets, and three were plastic covered cards that read 'Backstage Pass'.

"Surprise them with the backstage passes. And you need to go. You weren't going to let them go alone, were you?"

"Oh…" I thought over my plan. "No, of course not! Thanks Hotaru!" I started to skip out of the room.

"That will be 60,000 yen."

"W-whAATT!" My shriek earned me a hit from the baka gun. "oww…" I moaned, feeling a bump rising on my temple.

"You're too loud. 7,500 for each ticket, and 10,000 for each backstage pass." Hotaru held out her hand expectantly.

"Wait," I said, trying to do the math mentally. "That's only 52,500 yen. What's the extra… 7,500 for?"

Hotaru smiled coolly, a small, calculating grin. "My services."

"Hotaru, you meanie. Why do you have to charge your best friend for your services?"

"This is for your own good. If you owe people favors, they can use it against you. And I want the money."

"Stupid Hotaru," I mumbled under my breath as I fished my wallet out of my pocket and handed her my debit card.

"Now leave. I have work to do." She picked up the baka gun and glared at me as I backed out of the room.

_Flashback End_

Ugh. I sighed. I really didn't want to go out there. The Hyuuga dude himself wasn't that bad, though he was probably full of himself. But thirty-thousand girls screaming their lungs out that they love him and begging him to marry them was not fun, as well as plain absurd. He'll probably end up marrying a famous model with a size zero waist. Not a random fan. His song was at its last notes, and then the concert would be over. I had hid out in the bathroom the entire time. I walked out, heading towards the front, scanning the crowd for Aoi and Hikaru. I spotted them, black hair flying all over as Aoi jumped. Hikaru stood there peacefully, steadily swaying to the music as she videotaped the concert. The camcorder had been a Christmas present from Hotaru, as Hikaru 'would need proof of the idiocy she had to live with'.

We were really close to the stage. The tickets Hotaru had given me were really good. I owed her a favor even with the services fee. She didn't even make me pay full price. Hotaru was really kind to those she was loyal to, even though she came off as cold, distant, cruel, unforgiving, and basically a mean person…

The concert ended. Aoi looked sad. I smiled. "Hey Aoi, do you want to meet him?" The price of the backstage passes was worth the look on her face.

She paused to draw air into her lungs. "…"

Hikaru had a big grin on her face. "Really?" she asked happily, "We can go meet Natsume Hyuuga?"

"Yep. Here, this is your backstage pass, here's Aoi's, and this one's mine. Ready to go?"

"Omigodomigodomigodomigod…"

I giggled and swung Aoi over my shoulder. "Well since all this sack of potatoes can say is 'oh my god', I guess I have to carry her to meet her future husband," I said teasingly.

"That's right!" She hopped down from her perch. "How do you think he'll propose to me? I can wear a beautiful dress on our wedding, and the stork will bring us lots of kids, and…" she spun joyfully down the hall.

I held Hikaru's hand and walked down the hall after Aoi. Maybe I should have the birds and the bees talk with her soon.

Room 3A was full of fangirls. Luckily there were only about twenty. Still, I wish they would all burn. Of course, I couldn't become an arsonist. That would be bad for my public image. Or so Misaki said. Youichi was here, and all the girls were staying away from him. Not because they didn't like him, but because of the death glares they received when they came near him. And because of a frightening Sumire standing next to him. She was playing with him now, and they were ganging up on Koko. Ha. That's what he gets for making me date Luna. At least I only had another week of dating her. Then I would get to make Koko do something embarrassing in public. I was looking forward to the end of this bet. I had withstood extreme physical torture; my headache would finally go away when I broke up with the shrill slut. Ruka and Misaki were back at the mansion.

"Hi Natsume! My name is Cho. I am one of your biggest fans! Can I ask you a question?"

"Hn."

"Okay, well, do you have a crush on anyone?"

"No." Her eyebrows shot up past her hairline.

"What about Luna Koizumi? Aren't you dating her?"

_Not a question I wanted to answer._ "You already asked your question."

But- okay, I guess you're right. Can you sign my tee-shirt?" I signed the indicated clothing, and another girl approached me. After filtering a few more fans, I started to walk around. There was one girl sitting on the couch in the corner. Her auburn brown hair was spread out on her shoulders. She looked bored out of her mind. I walked over to her. She looked up at me blankly. I couldn't breathe for a moment. She had these beautiful caramel eyes; they were perfect for her small frame and lightly tanned skin. I couldn't have imagined her being any prettier.

I sat beside her. "You know, acting indifferent around a celebrity is a cliché."

"What are you talking about?" She appeared startled that I had spoken.

"Acting like you don't care to get a celebrity's attention. Disney has done that so many times."

"Who are you? And do you really think I care about that Hyuuga dude? I'm just watching over my little sisters."

It was my turn to be shocked, but I did my best to hide it from her. Did she really not know who I was? I decided to ignore her first question. "Do your little sisters care about this Hyuuga person?"

She laughed. It was a pleasant sound, like little bells falling. Nothing like Luna's braying, snorting laugh. "Hikaru admires Natsume. Aoi… is obsessed. She keeps going on and on about how he is going to propose to her and all that. Have you heard about him dating that Koizumi girl? Aoi literally wants to kill her for dating him. She doesn't think that Luna is the right girl for him. I think he should be able to date whoever he wants. I almost pity him for having such a public life."

I chuckled darkly. Maybe I should hire that little girl to dispose of certain nuisances. She sounded too cute for that though. "How old is she?"

"She's twelve. They both are, actually. Twins." She smiled, she must really care for them.

"What's your name?" The attraction was there, I can't deny that much.

"Mikan Sakura. Yours?"

I paused. I was enjoying my little game. I couldn't lie to her however. I really wanted to earn her trust for some reason. "Hyuuga. Natsume Hyuuga."

She just stared at me, stunned. "N-no way. You must be his brother… with the same name… and…" Her cheeks were burning red. I smirked.

"You blushing? So you really do care for 'that Hyuuga dude'?" I asked, mimicking her words.

She visibly pulled herself together. "No. I was just surprised. I'm not anymore though."

…

I played with my hair, bored. I glanced up. Aoi and Hikaru were playing with a boy their age that had silver hair and green eyes. They looked content. Hyuuga must not be in the room, or Aoi would be going crazy.

I saw someone heading towards me. He looked close to my age, around 16. He had raven black hair and crimson eyes. He looked like he could be Aoi's older brother. He was wearing a dark red long sleeve shirt that was slightly loose but hinted at a well built body. He stood next to me, and I could feel his eyes watching me. I brought my gaze to his face. He was amazingly hot. He was even better than my sempai, and my sempai has turned down hundreds of girls. He won't date, and I can't figure out why, it annoys me becau-

"You know, acting indifferent around a celebrity is a cliché."

I jumped. He had moved to sit beside me. _Hello, Earth to Mikan? He is talking to you. Say something._ "What are you talking about?"

"Acting like you don't care to get a celebrity's attention. Disney has done that so many times."

"Who are you? And do you really think I care about that Hyuuga dude? I'm just watching over my little sisters." He looked surprised. Did he really expect everyone to be a Hyuuga supporter? I can't completely blame him though, I _was_ at a Natsume Hyuuga concert.

"Do your little sisters care about this Hyuuga person?"

I laughed at that, it sounded like this guy wasn't a big Hyuuga fan either. "Hikaru admires Natsume. Aoi…," _is insane? _"is obsessed." I tried to describe the depth of her crush on Hyuuga.

He chuckled. "How old is she?"

"She's twelve. They both are, actually. Twins." I smiled, remembering the day they were born. Hikaru was brought out of the hospital room by dad five minutes after mom went in, and I got to hold her. I was a big sister! Then the doctor came out and told dad there was another. It took eight hours of mom's painful screams for Aoi to be born. I guess she was comfortable where she was, and she certainly took her own sweet time to be ready for the world. Or maybe she was giving the world time to prepare for her...

"What's your name?"

"Mikan Sakura. Yours?" _Names first, then phone numbers… can't deny that I'm attracted. And a date would be nice._

He hesitated. "Hyuuga. Natsume Hyuuga."

I gasped. Here I was, talking about Natsume Hyuuga, to NATSUME HYUUGA.I was so embarrassed. "N-no way. You must be his brother… with the same name… and…" I could tell I was blushing. Natsume smirked knowingly at me.

"You blushing? So you really do care for 'that Hyuuga dude'?" The anger at his mockery helped me push aside my surprise.

"No. I was just surprised. I'm not anymore though." I forced the heat out of my cheeks.

"Uh- huh. So if I asked you out, you wouldn't squeal like the other fangirls in this room?" He smirked. I wanted so badly to wipe it off his face.

_He is such an arrogant… ugh!_ "No. I'm not your fangirl." I searched for an excuse to escape and found one. "I have to go call my mom. Please be nice to Aoi and Hikaru. It would mean the world to them." I left, and began to walk aimlessly around the building.

…

She really didn't seem to care. Oh well, maybe I'll see her around. I'm glad I live around here. I pulled Sumire over to the side. "Who here is named Aoi Sakura?"

Sumire looked at me strangely. "The little girl over there is named Aoi, the one playing with Youichi. I don't know her last name. She looks a lot like you, I thought she might be your cousin or something."_ Well that explains the weird look._

"Thanks." I found who she was talking about and headed over to her. I playfully noogied Youichi's silver hair. How he got that color, I'll never know. "Hey Youichi, who's your friend?"

The young girl stood up She was wearing a frilly, red dress, her black hair in pigtails. Her eyes were even a dark crimson like mine. She did look like she was related to me, except her eyes were as big as saucers.

"Natsume-sama!" She flung herself at me. I caught her easily. She couldn't have weighed more than thirty-six kilograms. Another young girl stopped her conversation and came up to me with a gentle smile.

"Hello. My name is Hikaru. The mental patient hanging from your neck is my fraternal twin, Aoi. Fraternal because I got the brains while she got… the lack thereof."

Aoi shifted her petite body so that she was facing her blonde sister. "I heard that. And I'm not a mental patient, meanie!" She tilted her head towards me and smiled cutely. "Do you want to be my boyfriend, Natsume-sama?"

I tried to be kind for their sister. Her smile was reflected in Aoi's dimpled question. "I would like to be a boy that is your friend."

She pouted grumpily. "Hmph. It's because you're dating that horrible demon. She isn't right for you."

I kneeled down and beckoned Hikaru in closer so she could hear my conspiratorial whisper. "Can you keep a secret?" Hikaru nodded as Aoi rapidly bobbed her head. I guess Aoi got the enthusiasm. "I don't like her either -but you can't tell." I quickly tacked on the last part. _Why the hell am I telling the secret to two kids? _

Aoi gasped excitedly and climbed out of my arms, providing me with a good look at Hikaru. Her hair was extremely long, curling to her waist. Her eyes reminded me of the sea, cold and unforgiving at times, but relaxing when it wanted to be. I could picture a pair of similar ones, a warm amber. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. That was only because they were related. That's all.

…

I checked my watch. We should probably head home. I started to make my way back to room 3A, but had to stop and ask a security guard for directions. I'm slightly directionally challenged.

My phone rang as I dug it out of my pocket. "Hello?"

"Mikan"

"Nonoko? What's up?"

"Anna… she saw me kiss Yuu… she's crying…" I could hear the distress in her voice. Anna was a little saddened that no guy she liked had asked her out yet, and anytime she saw Nonoko and Yuu being their usual shy selves, _together_, she got depressed. It was understandable, since Anna was the type of person who loved and was loved. But ever since our hormones kicked in, she had been looking for more than friendship with guys. She just couldn't find anyone that was right for her. "Please help. I can't seem to make her feel any better, and in this case, I'm part of the problem."

"We'll be home in a half hour. I can come and try to help then."

"Okay Mikan, thanks. Bye"

"Bye Nonoko."

I finally found my way back to the room. I noticed that Hyuuga was talking to Aoi and Hikaru. _Maybe he wasn't so bad, he seemed like he could be nice. _He looked over at me, and as if know what I was thinking of, he smirked. _Okay, scratch that, he was every bit as arrogant as I thought._

"Hey guys, we need to get home. It's already past your bedtime and you have school in the morning."

"Aww, nee-chan! Natsume-sama was just about to propose!" Aoi complained.

"He can propose tomorrow," I knelt down next to her and leveled our heights, "After you ace your test."

Right before we left, Mr. I'm-all-that grabbed my arm. "So why aren't you my fangirl? Do my songs suck or something?" He sincerely appeared curious.

I flipped my hair over my shoulder. "Your songs are fine, I just don't think that you yourself are anything special. "

He smirked again. Seriously, did he have a facial problem? "Well, when you decide I am something special, you can come and beg me to be your boyfriend. Who knows, I might take pity on you and agree. We wouldn't want your pride to be wounded when the famous _Natsume Hyuuga _turns you down."

I copied his expression and watched his confidence falter a fraction at my quasi-sadistic grin. "I wouldn't want a heartless jerk as a boyfriend anyway." There! Mikan Sakura can serve just as good as she takes!

…

That girl is annoying. I honestly don't remember ever flirting before, and now that I have, the girl turns me down. But I would make her like me. No one can withstand my charms. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been turned down, either. I fumed. _She_ smirked at _me_.

"Natsume? Umm… are you okay?" Koko asked nervously from the passenger's seat.

I glared at him. Koko gulped and turned around to resume his conversation with Sumire as she drove.

"Onii, did you like that girl? She seemed really nice." Youichi's innocent jade green eyes searched my face. For such a little kid, he was pretty good at picking up on signals.

I softened my glare. "I saw you playing with her sisters. Were they fun to play with?" I could tell that he knew that I was shifting the subject, but thankfully he didn't pursue it. He simply nodded in response to my question.

"Natsume?" Sumire turned around. "We're home," she pointed out. The car was stalled in front of the mansion. We jumped out, and Sumire pulled into the garage. Misaki and Ruka had gone home a bit earlier, and when we walked in through the side door, Ruka was dishing ice cream out in the kitchenette. We each grabbed our snacks and joined Misaki in watching a movie in the basement. Our basement has a thick carpet, squishy leather furniture, and high quality electronics. There were some benefits to being the heartthrob of millions of girls.

My dad came in, his quiet footfalls barely making a noise on the stairs. "Sorry Natsume, I got busy painting and didn't even notice what time it was. I caught the end of your concert though. You did good." He gave me a small proud smile before going back upstairs.

I felt kind of sorry for him. Mom left when Youichi was born, so Youichi never knew her. I don't remember much about her, just that I inherited my looks from her and that she loved us very much. Dad is the one that really misses her. He isn't active in our lives very much because he feels closer to mom when he paints, and he often loses track of things going on around him. He isn't grieving her anymore, but he stills wears his wedding ring; he doesn't plan on remarrying. It doesn't bother me, I like being in charge of myself. That's why Ruka, Misaki, Sumire, and Koko live here. When I went on my world tour three years ago, I offered to take them with us. Ever since then, we've depended on each other like family; we eat, sleep, have fun, and, yes, fight together. I couldn't imagine not having them around.

…

As soon as we got home, I ran over and knocked on Mochu's door. When he answered with only a pair of pajama pants on, I averted my eyes. "You remember that favor you owe me? Good. Watch Hikaru and Aoi for me. They need dinner, peanut butter and jelly is fine. Aoi might need some help with her math homework. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, get them in bed. Thanks!" I closed the door behind me and ran upstairs. I live in an nice apartment complex for students of Alice Academy and I had formed some strong friendships with our neighbors. Mochu and I live on the second floor, my best friend Hotaru lives on the first, and Anna and Nonoko live on the third floor. It's convenient that they live close, because I need babysitters for Hikaru and Aoi a lot.

I knocked on the third floor apartment door. Anna and Nonoko and Hotaru both had two apartments. One for living, one as a lab. Nonoko and Anna shared the other third floor apartment as a kitchen and laboratory. Nonoko had already gotten a college degree in chemistry, but was still in high school for the rest of the subjects. Nonoko answered and brushed her sapphire hair out of her face. "She's in our bedroom. I can't get her to come out." I could see tear-reddened skin around her eyes.

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as I let myself in. "I'll go talk to her." Their apartment was really pretty. Nonoko had gotten bored one day and decided to paint the walls, and now there were pretty swirls in pale pink and teal all over their house. She had even made the paint herself, and at nighttime the swirls glowed slightly. It had a soothing affect, unless you had had a sleepover with ghost stories… then it was traumatic. I slid the door to Anna's bedroom open and peeked my head inside. She was crying quietly into her pillow. "Anna?" I heard her sobs become sniffles and she slowly sat up.

After I got her to calm down, I poured us some hot cocoa. The marshmallows always seemed to prepare someone for a spill session, and I put in three big ones.

"The thing is, Mikan, she would never leave me. She's too tenderhearted like that." Anna's voice rasped slightly from the previous crying. Anna wiped a tear from her cheek. "Yuu could propose to her, and she would say no simply because I would be unhappy without her. I feel like such a horrible person!" I hugged her gently and pulled her to my chest. "Anna, hush, Anna, Anna," I rubbed her back consolingly. "You will find someone. The right guy is out there."


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning as my alarm went off and I pulled my sleep-drugged body out of bed. The sun wasn't up yet, and I flipped a few lights on to illuminate our quiet, dark home. The girls didn't need to be up for another hour, and this was my time. Hikaru always woke up when I did, though. She was a light sleeper. I powered up my laptop and settled at our kitchen table, planning to get some schoolwork done. I go to school through an online system set up for high school students at Alice Academy who have a job. Hikaru quietly drifted out into the kitchen area and began to rustle through the cabinets.

She came over a few minutes later and set a plate of eggs in front of me. I smiled up at her and whispered good morning. She lethargically hugged me and went around to the back of the chair I was sitting on to watch me work. She pointed out a few mistakes I had made on my literature essay as she ate her own eggs. Hikaru was in middle school simply because she always ditched class and her impressive list of absences and tardies kept her from being allowed to skip a grade. I had just started working on algebra when I decided it was time to get Aoi up.

I opened the door to the room they shared and kindly ripped away Aoi's thick blankets. She loved to wrap herself in them, whereas Hikaru and I usually kicked our blankets off during the night.

Aoi's lithe body curled into a fetal position at the exposure to the cool air. I stroked her hair a few times, trying to wake her up. It was a hopeless attempt, though. Hikaru flipped on the lights and began to get ready for the day.

"Aoi? A-oi? C'mon sweetie, you need to wake up." Some mornings were better than the others. This was not one of the better ones. At my incessant coaxing, she decided to face the world.

Letting out a yawn to rival a lion's, she stretched and sat up. "Good morning, nee-chan!"

"Good morning Aoi. Get ready, alright?"

She rubbed her eyes. "mmkay, nee-chan."

I left to go get myself dressed. I am a waitress in a bar run by my friend, Nobara Ibaragi, who is twenty-one and finishing college in between work. I met her through my sempai, Tsubasa Andou, who is also a waiter there, but doesn't care enough to go to college. And it's not like he needs to, his inheritance is one of those that sits locked away and multiplies itself. The bar is called "The Hidden Secret". We're usually really busy. We are a popular bar because of our good service, tasty food, and music. Work is a lot of fun since I'm always surrounded by my friends and we joke around constantly.

After Hikaru and Aoi were ready, I dropped them off with Hotaru, who would walk them to school with Anna, Nonoko, and Mochu. They go to Alice Academy, which is a large, government funded, elevator school. Then I hopped in my truck and went to work.

I walked into the well-kept bar, went behind the counter and tied my apron around my waist. Tsubasa came over and held out his hand. I held out my own and we played a round of rock, paper, scissors. He won two out of three and tossed me a bleached rag and a bottle of cleaning solvent.

"Looks like it's your turn to clean the tables, imotu," he crowed triumphantly. I chuckled good naturedly at his silliness. I usually won our matches so I didn't spoil this rare victory of his. Nobara walked out of her office and noticed Tsubasa leaning against the counter top.

She winked at me. "Someone needs to mop the floor- oh, Tsubasa, you aren't busy. Could you clean the floor? You need to sweep it first, too." I hid my smile behind my hand. My sempai didn't appreciate the humor as much as he pulled his hat lower on his dark blue hair and shoved his hands in his pockets.

He grumbled as he retrieved the mop and broom from the closet. Nobara smiled gently and spread her papers across one of the tables I had already wiped up. Tsubasa teased me more as we worked. I've known him from when I was three, but I didn't really get to know him until our parents died. I felt a familiar tug in my chest. They were both killed coming home from a date during their anniversary weekend. A drunk driver had scared my father into driving off the road into a tree.

When I hadn't come to school the next week, the Andous came and visited us. They were close friends of mom and dad. They had been business partners together and both couples were really rich. The Andous offered to foster us, but I didn't want to rely on someone else's charity, no matter how nice they were. They still managed the financial and legal issues for us though, and technically they were our guardians. We just lived on our own and used our own money. I was twelve when they died, and Tsubasa has been like a big brother ever since. The accident happened almost five years ago.

"So did you notice any cute boys at the concert?" Tsubasa asked, feigning jealousy. I tried to keep a straight face.

"Actually I did. A really hot male model is now my boyfriend. I should probably go call him about our date tonight." I flipped my hair over my shoulder and fanned myself with my hand.

"You're dating him when you know that I love you?" Tsubasa cried, tickling me. "You little manipulator! You've broken my heart!" The playful gleam in his eyes belied the truth about his pretended distress.

I couldn't stop giggling long enough to fend him off when Nobara looked up from her papers. "Mikan, we are having a live performance here on Friday, and since you are the cutest waitress, I want you to show him and his friends around and serve them while they are here."

"Okay, I would love t- wait, who's coming? _It couldn't be Hyuu-_

"Natsume Hyuuga. I know his manager, and she owed me a favor, so I asked if he could come here and sing a few songs. I expect to get a lot of business from teenage girls," Nobara chirped happily. "I think he's about your age, too."

I sighed. I really didn't want to do this, but I would for Nobara. "Sure." Then I brightened. "Can Hikaru and Aoi come?" At least someone would be happy with this turn of events.

"Of course. They're always welcome here, you know that. We can keep any drunks away."

"Alright. I'll bring one of my friends, too, to watch them and keep them out of trouble."

…

My shift was over –Nobara refused to hire me full time, as I was a minor –so I went home to our apartment. We had lived at the mansion for a little while after our parents died, but when the first bills came, I started looking for somewhere else to live. When I found this place, we moved in. These complexes are for students of Alice Academy, and we've been living here ever since.

Alice Academy offers many services that normal schools don't. The school is for the offspring of the owners of large businesses. I used to go there all the time, but when I turned fourteen and people would hire me, I asked Tsubasa to find me a job. We have plenty of money stored up in the bank, but I thought it would be a good idea to save that as a college fund for me and Hikaru. It would be a college fund for Aoi as well; but she's told me that she doesn't want four extra years of school. Tsubasa asked Nobara to hire me so we could hang out more often. I think he also wanted to watch over me.

Nobara is really shy, and she stays behind the scenes to do her role in running the restaurant. She promoted Tsubasa to assistant manager so that he could do all the social stuff, though I'm trying to bring her out of her shell a bit more. Her personality is amazingly flamboyant when she's around her close friends.

Aoi skipped into the kitchen and thrust a piece of paper at me. "Nee-chan! I got a ninety-two on my math test!" I reached over and fixed her pigtail that was coming loose from all the bouncing around she was doing.

"Great job! See what a little studying does? And what was your grade, Hikaru?" She floated in behind her twin and set her backpack against the wall, right next to the other one that had been haphazardly thrown there.

My blonde sister grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and calmly bit into it. She chewed and swallowed before turning her attention to me. "A hundred—as usual." She took another bite of her apple. I frowned. She was around Hotaru too much; she was starting to act like her.

Then I remembered. "Hey, I have a surprise for you two; you'll both get it on Friday. And you need to come to work with me after school that day."

Aoi's eyes lit up. "Okay! I wonder what it is? Maybe we're getting a cat! Do you think so, Hikaru?" She tugged on her sister's sleeve to get her opinion.

"Baka. We can't have pets here, remember? The building code doesn't allow it."

Despite Hikaru's comment, Aoi continued undeterred. "Then what do you think it is?" Hikaru shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on! Take a wild guess? Pleeeeeeaassse?" At the lack of any response, she ran into the hallway. "Hikaru! Let's go bother Mochu!" The two rapidly rang Mochu's doorbell. Maybe Hikaru could be saved from my best friend's cold influence.

…Natsume

I yawned and opened my eyes. My bedside clock said it was 9:00. I'm glad we didn't have school today, I only ever went to school for tests. Even though I already had a job, and I didn't have any problem with income, I was still under my father's jurisdiction. Which meant I had to keep my grades above failing _and _finish high school. Next year I'd be a senior, and then I'd be free to pursue my singing. I remember when the graduation counselor in high school came to talk to us about our futures. I decided that I wanted the easy life. It was easy to get; I wasn't the most popular kid at school for nothing, and I had my parent's money backing my desire. So I took voice lessons and my dad found me a recording studio. That was before he detached himself completely.

I slid out of bed and threw on a pair of shorts for the gym. I kept in great shape, between working out, singing and dancing on stage, and rehearsals, I burned plenty of calories. I spent about twenty minutes on the treadmill before my stomach signaled –loudly –that it wanted some attention. I headed to the other side of our home in search of food. Koko and Sumire were cooking pancakes and joking around. I sat on one of the barstools as I dodged their playful banter. Sumire set a plate of pancakes in front of me just as Koko noticed me. "Misaki wanted to talk to –oh, there she is. Morning, Misaki."

Misaki nodded to Sumire and Koko before looking predatorily at me. I stood, well, sat my ground. "Natsume, I got a small gig for you at a local bar, I owed a friend a favor and she asked if you could sing a few songs Friday night," Misaki said casually.

I stared at her. "When did she ask?"

A look of guilt flashed across her face before she hid it. "Monday…"

"It's Thursday."

"I kept forgetting!" She jumped to her own defense. "And now you'll have a day to prepare. Oh, don't look at me like that! I forgot, okay? I'm sorry."

"Hn."

Misaki shrugged me off. "Sumire, do you know where Youichi is?" Koko grinned in anticipation. I merely rested my elbows against the marble countertop. Sumire caught sight of Misaki's determined attitude.

"Outside playing with Ruka. But you've tried this before. He doesn't want to sing," Sumire reminded scoldingly. In this family, Sumire was the like the mother, reprimanding us when we caused trouble.

Unfortunately, we didn't always listen. Misaki huffed. "Yes he does. Youichi is Natsume's brother; he must have a singing gene in there somewhere." She stomped towards the double doors leading to our backyard. I followed her. I didn't want to miss this.

"You-chan! I have a deal for you," Misaki sang out sweetly across the yard. Youichi turned from feeding the fish with Ruka and watched her run over to them. I kept up, staying within hearing distance and finding a nice tree to lean against.

Predicting what she wanted, Youichi stoically rejected. "I am not singing."

Misaki smiled. "What if I take you and a few friends to the amusement park Saturday?"

Youichi looked blankly at me for affirmation. At my nod, he complied, "alright. I'll do it."

My manager looked at me as well, with a considerable bit more emotion. "Write a new song for you two to sing together and be ready to perform together tomorrow."

Ruka's jaw dropped. "By tomorrow? There's no way Natsume can-"

"It's fine, Ruka." I left to go to my room.

Misaki called behind me, "I can't be there tomorrow, I have… other… business to take care of. But the bar is called The Hidden Secret, just be there before school is over!"

Around two o'clock, Ruka found me with my guitar in my hands, sounding out the notes and transferring them to paper. He set a plate with a sandwich next to my music sheet and studied me. "Are you sure you can handle this? You're going to be super tired between the socialite event tonight and this show tomorrow. You could probably cancel and stay here this evening."

I waved off his concern. "Misaki bought a new dress she really wants to show off, and if I go willingly I at least look camera ready." At Ruka's prolonged presence, I added more. "Besides, the tour was worse. I get more rest now that we're at home."

…Ruka

I smiled. While I hated these things, I had to come to support Natsume. Misaki had her arm cordially looped through his. She said his black hair went best with her pink dress, so he had to be her escort for the night. Sumire in turn picked me, since her best friend usually got pitifully drunk at these boring parties and turned out to be extremely embarrassing. Misaki elbowed Natsume in the ribs to attempt to force a smile out for the cameras. Sumire posed happily as a photographer gave her some attention. I watched Koko skip the line of reporters and head straight for the table of drinks. Honestly, Natsume didn't have to win this bet to make Koko embarrass himself: he did a good job of that on his own, since he habitually failed at holding his alcohol.

I noticed Natsume squirming. Maybe it was just the tuxes Sumire had forced us to wear, but I remembered that he had seemed anxious at the concert on Sunday as well. If I didn't know better I would say he was searching for someone. It couldn't be Luna, he hated her. Maybe he had a fever?

By this point we were in the ballroom, making small talk with other celebrities and wealthy elites. Our group dispersed a bit as we were called into other conversations. As soon as she lost Natsume, though, Misaki grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the circle of people I was talking to. "You're his best friend, what's up with my star singer?" she hissed in my ear, catching the attention of Sumire and Koko. I shrugged my shoulders.

Koko slung an arm over me and Sumire. "The two prettiest ladies here!" he crowed. I shoved his face away from mine. Seriously, we've only been here for twenty minutes and he's already drunk?

"I thought it might be Luna, but we haven't seen her since Sunday. Maybe he has a crush on someone?" Sumire offered her theory.

We stared at her. Even through his drunken haze, Koko saw the absurdity of the idea.

Sumire broke the silence. "I agree that it's very, very unlikely, but think about it. Natsume is showing the symptoms of crushing. He doesn't even know it."

…

Across the room, unbeknownst to our crimson-eyed male and his conspirator friends, a blue headed fellow spun his imotu in a circle as she frowned at him.

"Stop spinning me…" she put her hands to her head to calm the pounding of blood rushing to her brain, "…these parties are bad enough without my companion being a complete idiot."

He grinned impishly at her. "You said you weren't having fun. Besides, look at that drunk blonde over there. What if he was your escort?"

"I don't have to come."

"Yes you do. I would be eaten alive by the women in here without you. With you, most of them pout or attack some other poor chap."

The delicate girl noticed Natsume and ducked her head. "How long does this last?" Her cinnamon hair floated over the waist of her expensive teal and pink dress.

"What's wrong?" He noticed her worried look. "If you want to go home…"

"No, it's fine. I just… feel out of place around all these rich snobs."

"I'm a rich snob." He adopted the façade of a kicked puppy.

She playfully swatted his arm. "But you dress like a hobo. So you don't count."

"Does this tux look like something a hobo could afford?"

"I refuse to answer that until you take your brown cap off."

"It gives me character!"

Natsume turned to glance in her direction. She ducked again. She didn't want to see him without her sisters to provide a bit of a wall. He was too dangerous to her emotions.

**So I got a boyfriend. And I was all happy. And I wanted to type up a new chapter just so I could tell you all how happy I was. **

**And then stuff happened. And we broke up. And I wanted to type a new chapter just so I could tell you all how happy I was.**

**Boys are too much drama. Hope you liked my chapter!**

**If you need an amazing Gakuen Alice story to read, check out **Bonded **by **Archdemonlord**. This guy's stories are amazing!**

**And check out the story I'm doing with my one writer friend, a Maximum Ride fanfic with lots of OC's! Noon (my friend) likes to do that just to piss people off. Trust me, it's annoyed me plenty of times. Look for '**five percent**'** **by **NotSoAngelic60**.**

**~Arian**


	3. Chapter 3

**Fukutan is Narumi's substitute. He has the hair-growing alice. Just so you know.**

She wasn't at the party. I was looking for her the entire time, and I kept catching flashes of rich brown hair, but whenever I turned I only saw an annoying teen with a brown cap. Why would he wear a hat like that with a tux? For some reason, he really irked me. Anyway, my thoughts are getting off track. I wonder if I'll ever see Mikan again. Why wasn't she there? I suppose she wouldn't be since it was for celebrities and prospective funding revenues. But still…

My personal tragedy going on in my head was interrupted as I noticed the look of shock they each directed at me. I glanced from face to face, trying to figure out what was wrong. Was something on my handsome face? Finally I couldn't take it anymore. "What!"

Sumire gave me a recap of the conversation that had been going on in the limo. A conversation that I was apparently unaware of. "Ruka asked if you… you know… liked a girl? And then you didn't say anything, so…" she trailed off uncomfortably, as though she wasn't quite sure what to do.

Koko was still drunk, but much more sober than he had been when he had kissed a random girl. I guess fending off a world class bodybuilder does that to you, especially when you had just kissed his girlfriend. But even drunk Koko didn't understand the point of shutting up. "Cricket, cricket."

Sumire slapped him upside the head.

Truthfully, I was thankful for his disruption. It didn't make me the first person to break the silence. "I don't like anyone."

"Oh, okay."

"Alright."

"Just wondering."

The tension was relieved and the atmosphere returned to normal. Sumire and Misaki started chatting about girl stuff, and Ruka went back to reading his book. Koko continued to stare at me. Even when I glared at him with my best glare, an expression that has been known to make young children cry, he only appeared mildly concerned. His eyes clearly said he didn't believe my denial. What does he think he is, a mind reader?

The limo pulled up to the house and we all dismounted. Before we got to the door, however, Luna came up to us. "Natsume!" My friends instantly grew silent at the notice of her presence. But she didn't notice the awkward quiet. She tried to put her arms around me and give me a kiss.

I pushed her away, trying not to be too rough. She was a girl after all. "I'm breaking up with you. I found out that you've been cheating on me the entire time we were dating." I had actually known the entire time; it showed up in the tabloids often. Not that it bothered me; I just wanted to win the bet. But it would be cruel to tell her that.

However, Koko didn't know that I was trying to be a gentleman. "Yes!" He pumped a fist in the air. "I win the bet!"

"Yeah, you win. What do you want me to do?" I had a really bad feeling that I was going to regret this. The look of pure glee on his face was scaring me. Not that Natsume Hyuuga ever got scared.

"Huh? Oh yeah, the prize…" Stupid Koko. He wins our bet and completely forgets about the consequence.

Luna had appeared to be torn between murdering Koko and bursting out in tears in a desperate attempt at sympathy. However, at Koko's mention of a bet, she made up her mind. "W-w-what?" Her tear ducts instantly opened, and tears flooded her face. "But Natsume, I love you!" The tears really didn't garner much sympathy. Rather, Luna's mascara smeared and gave her a drowned-raccoon-ish look.

Youichi opened the door to our home. He looked thoroughly bored since we never took him with us, but we didn't want him exposed to the publicity of those types of parties. Too much manipulation and greed in one condensed area for a little kid. At least that's what Sumire said. I personally thought he would make a great babysitter for Koko.

He quickly noticed Luna's state of despair and looked hopeful. "Why is she crying?"

Misaki had gotten tired of Luna's drama a week ago, but Sumire just hated it. "Your brother broke up with her. Koko won the bet." Sumire stalked past Youichi and my manager followed her into the house.

Youichi's grin spread across his face and his green eyes flashed impishly. "Great. I was tired of being insulted by the ugly hag anyway. I still can't believe she actually thought nii-chan liked her." At this point I was ready to end her misery by asking her to leave. Sure, Luna was a horrible person with a nasty ego, but she still deserved mercy.

"I'm right here! Don't you dare call me an ugly hag!" She raised her hand to slap my brother. Instantly I saw red at the thought of anyone close to me being harmed. My hand shot out and caught her wrist on its down stroke.

Through my tinted vision I spat my next words at her. "Don't you _DARE_ come near my family again." My voice had drawn to a controlled monotone, though I'm sure she could still hear the venom concealed beneath the surface. "And he's right; you are an ugly hag." I walked into our home, with my brother, my closest friend, and my drunken friend following me. My family.

Before he shut the door, Koko stuck his tongue out at Luna.

* * *

><p>Hikaru<p>

I glanced around, so ready for my second to last class of the day to be over. Jinno was at the board, trying to get basic algebra through the thickest skulls in my grade. My desk partner was simpering and passing notes to her crush. It was a normal day in my life. I turned my attention to a bird outside the class window and watched it hop lightly on the branch of a cherry blossom tree. I opened my sketch book and began to draw the bird as well as possible. I looked down at my drawing. Not too bad, but I could try again later.

Suddenly I sat up straighter. Mikan-nee was going to surprise us today. I was really excited to find out what it was. I know I had told Aoi to stop guessing and wait for today, but it had been _three in the morning!_ I had my own list of possibilities, but it had to be much shorter than Aoi's list. For one, I knew it wouldn't cost much since nee-chan had already dipped into our parent's money for the tickets to Natsume's concert and the passes to meet him. And we most certainly wouldn't be getting a pet.

I raised my hand. "Yes, Miss. Sakura?" Jinno looked annoyed. I was his best student only because the subject was so simple; I never paid attention even if I did show up. He hated my nonchalance.

"May I get a drink of water?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." I slid out of my seat and walked up to the front of the class room. I erased an answer of his and his work to problem four and rewrote it correctly. I grinned as cutely as possible. "Just trying to help, Jin-jin." The vein that ran across the front of his forehead popped out. I love that vein. It means I succeeded in annoying him.

I made it out to the hall and I snuck in to Aoi's art class and grabbed a smock. They were painting today, so I found a paintbrush and sat next to Aoi. The art class was very large, and the teacher, Fukutan, did not control the chaos very well. I came here anytime I ditched math class.

"What are you painting?"

I thought for a moment before dipping into the brown paint. "An octopus. Why are you painting… is that Natsume?"

"Yep! I can give it to him as a wedding present!" Aoi giggled, lost in her own delusion.

"Uh huh. Anyway, do you want to leave school early and go home? After art class?"

Aoi's eyes widened at the prospect of doing something her teachers would not approve of. "You mean skip class?" I nodded. "Won't we get in trouble?"

"Nah. And besides, we have to go to work with onee-chan after school, we might as well meet her there. We can visit Nobara, too." I absolutely adored spending time with Nobara, and she doted on Aoi and me quite often.

"Can we torture Tsubasa?"

I frowned at her. "It wouldn't be right to go to The Hidden Secret and _not _torture Tsubasa.

"Yay!" Aoi clapped her hands and upset a tube of paint, splattering paint all over herself. "Oops..."

I sighed.

We finished painting our pictures and were cleaning up just as the bell rang. I leaned my canvas up against a wall and threw my bag over my shoulder. Aoi caught up to me as I walked out the front gates of the school. I noticed a silver head several meters in front of us. "You-chan!"

The silver head turned around to reveal a young boy our age. Youichi saw us and smiled. "Aoi-chan, Karu-chan!" He stopped walking and waited for us to catch up. Aoi pouted. The sullen look on her face seemed out of place on her normally happy features. "What's wrong, Aoi?"

"You both get nicknames because your names are longer. My name is too short." Her pace slowed as she dragged her feet.

Youichi's smile never faltered. "I like your name, Aoi." He casually placed an arm over her shoulder. "It's a pretty name." Aoi shyly hid her blush.

I brushed a leaf off my bag. The colors of fall were so pretty. "You left school early too, You-chan?"

"Yeah." He lifted his gaze from Aoi and focused on me. "My brother is singing at a bar tonight and I have to practice with him."

"Really? What bar? We're going to the bar our sister works at, The Hidden Secret."

Youichi looked startled, then happy. "That's where I'm going!"

Aoi grabbed both our hands and started skipping. "Yay! Let's go!"

I allowed myself to be dragged. "Small world… so who's your older brother?"

Youichi scratched his head. "Um… my older brother is… N-"

"Hikaru, Youichi, look!" Aoi pointed to a bunny chewing on dandelions at the edge of the foliage lining the sidewalk. Aoi slowly walked up to the white bunny. "Pyon, pyon, pyon."

I heard a rustling in the bushes, and a tall blonde came out of the bushes. "Usagi, there you are!" he scooped the bunny up into his arms and stroked his ears. Aoi smiled innocently.

"May I hold your bunny?" She had the cute grin that no one –except me and sometimes Hotaru-nee –could resist. I couldn't pull off that grin. Once I tried it on Tsubasa and he shuddered before tickling me so hard that I couldn't breathe.

Ruka smiled back, not even attempting to resist. "Sure; here, Usagi likes to be held like this." He settled the small white animal into her arms. "Oh, Youichi. Nat-"

"Ruka-nii!" Youichi suddenly said, startling the blonde teen.

"What is it, Youichi?" Ruka knelt slightly so that he was on our level.

"Meet Hikaru and Aoi. Karu-chan, Aoi-chan, meet Ruka-nii."

I waved politely. "Hello, Ruka-kun."

"Ruka-pyon!" I swear, she was just like Mikan. Aoi giggled as she stroked Usagi's face. The bunny squirmed to escape her hold, but she was oblivious to its attempts to free itself.

Ruka shot her a strange look at the nickname she had just given him. "Anyway, Yoichi, you need to be at the bar for practice."

Youichi shrugged. "Are you two coming?"

"Nah, I'm going to go home and get a change of clothes." I glanced over Aoi's paint splattered outfit, "and you probably should too. We'll meet you there, You-chan, Ruka-kun." I walked in the direction of our apartment until I noticed the lack of a cheerful aura. "Aoi?" She pouted. I sighed, "I'll grab you some clothes."

* * *

><p>Ruka<p>

I looked at Aoi. She looked a lot like Natsume's mother. Natsume has a picture of her pushing him on a swing. He looked like such a happy kid. Not now, and that was the difference between Aoi and Natsume. She was so cheerful and open towards everyone.

Natsume had mentioned they had an older sister that annoyed him the night after his first concert back. Could that be Mikan? She sure annoyed Natsume, and while she didn't look anything like Hikaru or Aoi, she acted a lot like Aoi.

Aoi continued to skip happily. "Ruka-pyon, I like your rabbit. He's soft."

That was another thing; how did she come up with that nickname?

Youichi stroked the bunny and smiled at the young girl. "Ruka-nii has had Usagi since he was eight." Aoi smiled back at Youichi.

* * *

><p><strong> Watashi wa gensaku no shirizu o shite inai - translates to "I don't own Gauken Alice!" or something like that.<strong>

**So, I haven't updated for awhile. But, I couldn't let VALENTINES DAY pass without updating. I know, it's a little shorter than the other chapters… If it's any consolation, the next update will be super long and filled with MikanxNatsume fluff. Personally, I'm proud of what my mind comes up with. **

**I'm going to attempt to update once a month. Writer's block, though, is my muse's fault. Blame him. (Yes, it's a him. A quite sexy _him_ too.)**

**~Arian**


	4. Chapter 4

**If anyone thinks the rating should change, just tell me, and I'll be happy to oblige. No real action, (in this chapter) but I am a tease…**

**I don't own Gakuen Alice. But I do own- wait, no, I don't even own that.**

**This first scene was set **_**during**_** the last scene of chapter 3. In case this was confusing. You know, it made sense in my own mind. **

**Something else that may be confusing: this is **_**not**_** a songfic. Yes, there will be a few chapters with songs in them, but the majority of this is original.**

**I don't like this first scene very much. Sumire's rant is a little OOC for my comfort, but look at it this way: instead of being fan-obsessed with Natsume, I have her looking out for him as a person. **

**Also! I am very stereotypical of people who are in a bar in the middle of the day. Don't let your feelings get hurt.**

**~Arian**

**FRIDAY **

"Ruka, put Usagi down and go find Youichi. He should have been here by now." I knew I was being bossy, put I was worried about him.

"Natsume… school hasn't let out yet." Ruka stopped me from jamming the jack for my amplifier into my guitar. "Chill."

We had arrived here at the bar, called 'The Hidden Secret' which was a pretty cool name and suited the underground bar. Not that the bar was a secret, as I had heard of it plenty of times during the few days I actually went to school, but that it was at the level of a basement; below ground. When we first came, that guy I had seen at the red carpet event, greeted us and said the manager would be over soon, and asked us to begin setting up.

Now a girl Misaki's age with ice blue hair came over and greeted us, her eyes the same unique color as her hair. Her eyes were warm despite the frosty hue, and she grinned at me. "Hi, I'm Nobara Ibaragi, the bar's manager." She turned to one of the waitresses. "Mikan!" I felt my heart beat faster as the brown haired waitress turned to reveal caramel eyes. Eyes that were rapidly becoming familiar, as I couldn't get them off my mind. Eyes that looked slightly pissed. She brushed her hands against a short blue apron on top of a short black skirt, which gave me an excellent view of her well shaped legs. I don't dislike breasts, being a warm-blooded male, but I truly appreciate a nice pair of legs. "Mr. Hyuuga-"

I cut Nobara off. "Just Natsume, please." What? I had manners. I just usually chose to ignore them.

"Okay; Natsume, this is Mikan Sakura, she will show you around the bar and serve you and your friends tonight. I hope you enjoy your evening, and thank you for agreeing to come and perform. Nobara politely disengaged herself and disappeared into her office.

I smirked at the waitress in front of us. _Ha, now we're even._ "Hello, Ms. Sakura. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She scowled at me, and fixed her gaze on Sumire.

"Hi, who are you?" She smiled brightly at my friends.

Sumire glared at Mikan. "Natsume-kun was talking to you. It was rude of you not to respond."

Mikan shrugged, then squealed loudly in an annoyingly high pitch. "Kyaaaa! It's Natsume Hyuuga! He's _sooo_ cute!" She spun to face Ruka. "Do you think he'd shake my hand?" Mikan spun back to face me. "Would you shake my hand? OMG, this is so cool!" She mock fainted.

Koko sniggered and Ruka tried to hide a smile behind his hand. Mikan calmly turned to Sumire. "I've responded," she chirped in her normal tone. "Who are you?"

Sumire crossed her arms and switched from a disapproving, motherly glare to a deadly one. "You should have responded _nicely_." Her purple dress swished dangerously.

Mikan sighed loudly. "Since Permy here won't tell me her name, what's your name?"

"Kokoro Yome. Call me Koko. And Permy," his grin got wider," is Sumire Shoda."

"Hello, Koko. Hi, Sumire." She waved at my frowning friend. "And who are you? And who's this sweet little guy?" She wiggled her nose in a surprisingly accurate imitation of Usagi.

"I'm Ruka Nogi." He smiled shyly at the cute waitress who was making faces at his bunny. "And this is Usagi."

Mikan giggled. "Ruka-pyon!"

I swear, Ruka's eyes just about popped out of his head.

"There's a reserved table for you in the VIP area," she waved to a fenced off area, "but of course, you can sit anywhere you please. Drinks and food is on the house-"

She pouted when I interrupted her. "I thought you asked me to perform so you could get more money? Isn't giving us free drinks and food semi-counterproductive?" I clapped my hand on Koko's shoulder. "He can't hold his alcohol, but he definitely drinks a lot."

"Not really. We're aiming for publicity, not profit. You should probably finish setting up. If you need anything, I'm available to answer any and all questions." She turned and bounced away to some of the back rooms. I winked at Ruka and followed her, leaving my friends to occupy our table.

As soon as we were in the back hallways and out of view, she whirled around. "Are you stalking me?"

"Actually, you're the one stalking me."

"How am I-"

"But I only need you to show me around. You seem to have skipped that bit."

Mikan glared at me. "Bathrooms." She pointed down a separate hallway. "Tables. Stage. Counter where you order stuff. Door to _leave_." She finished her last gesture with an extra flourish.

"Ouch. Don't you want to be around this greatness?"

No response. Obviously, I'll have to try harder.

"Well, I guess I will leave then. Since I'm not wanted."

Mikan turned on her heel and stomped off. I'm quite surprised she called my bluff.

When I made my way back to the main rooms, I noticed Sumire watching me with a strange, contemplative expression. As I stood behind Ruka, he noticed my presence and glanced up. "Everything okay?"

I voted in favor of smirking instead of saying anything.

Koko glanced around. "Where's Usagi?"

Ruka gave our table a cursory glance "He's… he's…" Ruka's searching grew more frantic. "Usagi?"

A waiter a few tables over lifted his head. "Yo, dude, you looking for that white rabbit?" Ruka nodded hopefully. "Hopped out the back door a few minutes ago, cuz." Ruka ran out the doors before the waiter could say anything else.

Sumire and Koko restarted their conversation next to the stage as I listened silently and preformed a pre-concert check on my guitar.

As I finished testing the microphone connections, I noticed Mikan had joined my friends and was easily conversing about work. I plopped down into the chair across from Mikan. "Shouldn't you be cleaning a toilet stall or mopping up a spill somewhere?"

"Actually, I am yours and yours alone tonight. Nobara said I didn't have to do anything else." She smiled brightly at me and I was reminded of the smile she had when she was talking about her sisters on the night we first met. Before she knew I was Natsume Hyuuga and before she thought of me as an arrogant jerk.

Sumire looked from Mikan to me. "Koko, I left my purse in the car. Go get it for me?" Sumire dangled a pair of keys in Koko's face.

"Aw, do I have to? We just got here and there are some cute waitresses giggling over there. I think I might get their numbers." Koko grinned at the girls and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"They were giggling about Natsume. Now, go get me my purse, or you walk home."

Koko grumbled and stalked off, before coming back and snatching the keys still displayed in Sumire's hand, mumbling something like 'damn Natsume', 'bad for my ego', and 'never get girls'.

As soon as he had left the bar to search for Sumire's purse, she stood up and brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm going to the bathroom. When I come back, Natsume, I want a beer." Having announced this, Sumire grabbed the purse beside her chair and left.

Mikan looked a little uncomfortable at us being alone. I silently thanked Sumire for the extra opportunity to mess with Mikan.

"So, do you-"

"Hyuuga-san, can-" We both started speaking at the same time. She ducked her head slightly to let me speak first.

"Natsume." Mikan glanced at me with an adorably confused look. I clarified. "Not Hyuuga-san. That's what business executives call my dad."

She stared at me for an immeasurable moment, trying to figure me out. She gave up when I simply stared back. "_Natsume_, can I get you anything? We have some really good entrees, or an appetizer plate if you'd like."

"No thanks, I don't usually eat before singing to my fans. I have a few million now, did you hear?"

Mikan glowered at me as I stretched my arms and placed them behind my head before she gave up on this notion of intimidating me. She sighed, dipped her head in pseudo-respect, then turned and trailed away. I noticed she started talking to a blue haired boy with a brown hat. I frowned. Wasn't he the one at yesterday's red carpet event?

I was knocked almost out of my seat by a hit to the back of my head. I turned around and saw Sumire glaring at me, her arms crossed hostilely across her chest. "_Owh. _What was that for?" I carefully kneaded the small bump on my skull. That was going to be sore in the morning. I could tell she was frustrated; Sumire rarely hurt anyone.

She carefully pronounced each syllable. "How slow are you? Ruka left, I made Koko disappear, and I left. I may not have liked that girl's dismissal of you, but obviously you deserved it. And when I made sure that –aside from a few unemployed middle age men –you two were _alone._" Sumire's tone begged me to catch on to what she was hinting. I lifted an eyebrow questionably. She screeched quietly in frustration. "You were alone with her! And you ran her off!"

"So?"

"So? So!" Her hands were thrown into the air before she dragged them to her sides and pointed threateningly at me. She controlled her voice to a pitch of deadly calm. "I am sick and tired of this apathetic attitude of yours. You need someone to date you." I opened my mouth to point out that I could have virtually any girl date me, and that I had just gotten out of a relationship, but I didn't have a chance to protest. "If you don't have a girl dating you within three months, I can and will make your life a living hell. You will be so miserable that no girl will spare you a second glance. _And_, it must be a real relationship, not a one-sided crush with a fangirl you decided to date. You will pull your head out of the shell and live in the real world, and-"

This time I managed to squeeze in an argument of my own. "I _do_ live in the real world! My face is plastered in magazines all _over _the real world!" At this point, I was desperate for her to stop yelling at me.

"No, you don't. Your only interaction is with your band and your friends, which, by the way, are few." I started to protest before I realized that I really only do have a few friends. "Now, agree to my request or I will start the process of turning your life upside down now." Sumire huffed and blew some hair out of her dark green eyes.

I spoke cautiously, not wanting to set her off again. "Request? Sounded a lot more complicated than a request. And a _lot_ less optional." She glared at me, promising pain if she didn't get her way. "Fine. I agree."

If she was a bird, you would have seen her ruffled feathers settle. She would be a raptor, perhaps a falcon or hawk; one of those predators that ate helpless little mice. I currently felt an awful similarity to those mice. After smoothing her hair down, Sumire turned to me. "Good. Now where is my beer?" I hurried to get the volatile female a drink before she bit my head off.

As soon as I handed Sumire a cold bottle of her favorite brand, Ruka walked in. "Hey Natsume, guess who ditched school?" He smiled at me. Youichi and that one girl, Aoi, peered out from behind Ruka.

"Youichi. Let's get ready. Besides, you're late." I waited expectantly to be tackled by the pretty, young girl, but she just smiled and waved happily at me.

"Natsume-sama, do you know where my older sister is? She works here, have you seen her?" Aoi bounced slightly on her toes.

"She's talking to the manager."

Aoi energetically shot off in search of the older girl, squealing. "Nobara!"

Youichi watched her happily as her raven head bobbed between the waiters preparing for the onslaught of customers while we went through the song I had written last night. I allowed a small smile on my face as I watched him watch her.

* * *

><p>Hikaru<p>

Hotaru-nee glanced at Mikan-nee. Again. I can tell what Hotaru-nee is thinking, because I'm thinking the exact same thing. Aoi is thinking it as well, but she simply isn't as discreet about it.

"Nat-su-me likes Mikan-nee, Mikan-nee likes Nat-su-me."

I glanced at the dancing imbecile. "She's just appreciating the music, dimwit. If she liked him, don't you at least think she would be smiling? If looks could kill, Natsume would be a melting pile of flesh."

Youichi nodded. "Then it's a good thing looks can't kill. I like my Onii-chan just how he is, Karu-chan."

Aoi looked at the clock before looking at me. I winked at my twin in response. She grinned. "Youichi, Tsubasa has a break in a few minutes. Would you help us? He doesn't trust us anymore." You-chan's jade eyes widened.

"Why doesn't he trust you?"

I smiled at the memory. Aoi's recollection must have amused her as well, because the look on her face beamed with pride. "Long story. We'll tell you sometime, promise." Aoi held out her pinky and Youichi hooked his pinky through hers. "So, will you help?"

"What do I need to do?" Youichi asked in a conspiratorial whisper. Aoi filled him in on our mischief. I had hung out Nonoko-chan in the lab one day and she showed me a failed experiment. It was supposed to be a liquid to turn a flower's petals blue, but turned out to be a powder. At my request we tested it on the lab rats and found that it was a strong itching powder. The best part was that it had no effect at first, but later was unbearably irritating. We had tested it on Mochu yesterday, and the results were very pleasing.

Suddenly a fangirl shoved Youichi out of her way. He landed on the floor behind the mass of dancing bodies just as a stiletto heel stepped on his hand. Aoi stormed up to the two girls. "Hey!"

They ignored her and continued to dance until she viciously poked their sides. "Watch it, pipsqueak!"

"You don't want to mess with us!" The redhead and blonde resumed dancing after flipping their hair over their shoulders.

This place had been empty until a small group of girls walked in. When they saw Natsume playing they shrieked and whipped out their phones, presumably to post comments to twitter and facebook. Now this place was packed. Nobara was happy, despite the headache that had to be coming on.

I could practically see steam come out of Aoi's ears. She started hitting the fangirls as I offered a hand to lift You-chan off the floor. The back of his hand had a small, round imprint of the girl's heel outlined in blood.

"OW! Seriously, leave us alone!" The blonde who had stepped on Youichi pushed Aoi's light frame as hard as she could and laughed as Aoi fell hard. I held Youichi back as I didn't want him to hurt himself. I glanced at the stage to see Natsume start another song. Mikan was across the bar serving Sumire and Koko. I didn't see Hotaru anywhere, and Nobara had disappeared into her office awhile ago to take an aspirin and hide out until everyone left. I wished I could join her. I knew that Aoi could handle herself.

"Don't. Shove. ME!" Aoi stormed up to the older girls. "You!" she cried as she pointed at the redhead, "shoved my friend over, and," she swung her arm to point at the blonde, "you! stepped on him! Both of you need to apologize to him. NOW!" My twin's eyes, usually light and happy, were seething with indignation at the crimes against her friend.

The redhead sneered. "Why should we listen to a little brat? Why should we apologize to a crybaby? _Why_ should we even care-" She stopped when a handsome blonde came up to her. "Hey baby. Do you want to dance?"

Ruka lifted a finger. "You should listen to her because you were rude." He lifted a second finger. "You should apologize because the 'crybaby' is Natsume's little brother." The two fangirls gasped at the prospect of hurting their -nonexistent- chance to be Natsume's girlfriend. Ruka lifted a third finger. "You should care because-"

A cold, hard voice came from behind Ruka to finish his sentence. "Because you two bitches messed with my girls." Two heavy balls hit their faces. Blondie's nose cracked satisfyingly.

Ruka stared at Hotaru-nee, standing there with a large, complicated mechanical device over her shoulder. "Did... d-did you just sh-shoot them?"

"Meet the new and improved baka gun, now completely silent." She ran a hand through her short inky black hair and sighed. Hotaru gave Ruka a once over before turning to Youichi. Her cold expression softened as she took in his battered state. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm okay." Youichi's silver head bowed politely.

"Where were you? I didn't see you a few minutes ago."

Hotaru glared at Natsume. "I had to make my way through his fangirls. I think he hypnotizes them or something. They wouldn't move out of my way. I saw what was happening, but couldn't get over to you any sooner." We considered the unconscious bodies on the floor. "I need to work on the impact strength."

I thought for a second. "Try tweaking the hair trigger, if it hits before the bullet's initial snap, it creates a buildup of unnecessary pressure." I noticed that Ruka and Youichi both had shocked stares directed at me. Aoi was dusting herself off; she was used to this. She usually helped Hotaru in her workshop by handing her whatever she wanted.

Hotaru shook her head. "That's adjusted correctly, it's the ratio of sulfur to potassium that's giving me problems. Nonoko promised to help me with it after school Monday."

Ruka shook out of his trance, though he still seemed dazed. "I think we should kick them out. I'll get the redhead." He picked her up and tossed her limp body over his shoulder easily. I thought I saw Hotaru's eyes gleam at the sight of Ruka's fluid movement but I couldn't be sure.

Hotaru placed a manicured hand on his shoulder to stop him. "As much as I would like to dump them in an alley, we really can't leave them there to be mugged and raped. You can toss them in a back room and then we'll deal with them once they revive." Ruka nodded at her suggestion and stood there waiting. "What? I'm not carrying the bitch."

Ruka sighed and stooped to pick up the other girl, tossing the blonde over his shoulder, and left in search of a room. Or a broom closet.

Aoi noticed the cut on Youichi's hand and dragged him off to bandage it.

Hmph. That girl with the gun shot down Samantha and Christy. Sure, they shouldn't have shoved the young girl, but Youichi deserved being pushed and stepped on. He was on the stage now, singing with his brother. I slid my gaze over to the table by the stage. The miserable gang was chatting. They weren't even paying attention to Natsume. I hated them. Why would Natsume choose to be around people who treated him like someone normal? _I _would treat him like a god. Soon enough he would realize that I was much more worthy of his time.

Yes, I had cheated on him, but only because he hadn't wanted to have sex at this point in our relationship. I hadn't dated anyone else, just had my needs taken care of.

He finished the song and sat with his friends after announcing to the crowd that he was going to take a break. They didn't even stop their conversation other than to congratulate him. None of them offered to get him a drink. A young waitress came over to their table. She seemed plain and utterly boring, bordering on ugly. Natsume spoke briefly to her and winked. She slapped him and strutted away. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands. She would suffer for that. Didn't she know how much I would give so that I could have the right to stand beside him, even for a moment?

Perhaps that's why he broke up with me. There was no other explanation to why he would waste his time on her. He must have mentioned a bet so that I would catch on to the fact that he had made a bet and now had to date this girl. He probably broke up out of respect for me. I would accept him as soon as the bet is over and he comes crawling back to me.

I paid for my drink and walked out of the bar, making plans.

* * *

><p>Ruka<p>

I looked at my best friend. Even with a flaming red handprint across his cheek, he had a small grin that gave him the appearance of a content cat. I could tell he was pleased with himself.

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked her that."

"Maybe?" I raised an eyebrow. "You can't ask a girl what 'tragic accident'," I added the air quotes with my fingers, "happened to her chest. It's just... mean."

Natsume looked intrigued. "Why not? I thought it was nice that it doesn't affect her self esteem."

Koko must have caught some of our conversation, because he detangled himself from the gaggle of girls he had been talking to. Was it a gaggle? Maybe a herd, or a flock. They sure acted like a mindless flock of sheep. All following after one, even over a cliff.

"Natsume, man, you just don't. That girl probably- no, she _will_ hate you for the rest of your life." A girl grabbed his arm as he finished his sentence and pulled him back into the group.

"No problem. So what, one girl doesn't like me. The other trillion do. At least if I can't get into her heart, I can get under her skin."

"What about Sumire?" Natsume had filled me in on her threa- uh, request, and I agreed with her reasons, even if I didn't agree with her method of making it happen. He was going to end up in an unhappy marriage or remain a bachelor his whole life if he didn't leave his small, contained world.

Natsume looked confused. "What about her?"

"When Sumire said it couldn't be a one-sided thing, she pretty much excluded that trillion you just mentioned. You wouldn't be able to stand dating one of them," I raised a hand to stop him. "No, that was not a challenge. Besides, even if you could stand dating one of those simpering girls, Sumire would see right through it. We know you too well."

"Ruka, I have three months to do this. I think I can manage."

"Three months is plenty of time, if you take it seriously. Unfortunately, you won't, will you?"

Ruka... I'm wounded at your lack of faith in my charm." His hurt expression made me chuckle.

* * *

><p><strong>SATURDAY<strong>

I sighed and opened my eyes before slamming them shut again. I didn't drink, but I had one hell of a hangover. The cheers still pounded in my head. When I stretched I noticed a comfortable soreness in my legs. I had gotten used to this after the first few times we had big-name singers perform at the bar, but this was probably the biggest performance we've ever had. As a result, _The Hidden Secret_ was crowded to the point that people were standing outside just for a free concert by Natsume Hyuuga. Nobara had been so happy about the publicity we were getting, she was sure we would have a full house tonight even without a live band. I stretched once more, trying to relieve the tension.

When I went to the kitchen I noticed that my two little sisters were up already. Hikaru's long blonde hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, but black hair drifted gently around Aoi's face. "Hey guys. What's going on?" Aoi would usually sleep till noon if allowed.

I moved around to the stove and started cooking our traditional Saturday morning breakfast; eggs, muffins, and OJ.

"Um... Youichi asked us if we could go on some rollercoasters with him today," Aoi blushed lightly.

Hikaru began to pour orange juice into three glasses. "And she wants you to braid her hair," Hikaru reminded her sister.

I looked at them. I loved them so much; I wished I could provide a more stable, normal life for them. "Sure guys!" I slapped on a bright smile, genuinely happy they had a chance to play with a friend. They usually kept to themselves and had no friends within their age group. Because of that, they treated my closest friends like family. "I'll drive you two over after breakfast. So did you both sleep well?" Hikaru nodded as she bit into a blueberry muffin. Aoi animatedly started describing a dream she had. I finished my breakfast first and moved behind her to french braid her hair into a loose, pretty plait circling her head. Hikaru washed the dishes, and I grabbed my keys. Tsubasa had taught me to drive, and when I got my license he bought me a silver truck. I didn't use it often since school, work, and friends were pretty close, but it came in handy every once in a while.

Aoi jumped in the car, her excitement showing through her fiery eyes. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Hikaru climbed in next to her and placed a hand on top of Aoi's head to stop her bouncing. "Sit. Still."

I giggled at their usual antics. "Alright, be good. We'll be there soon, I checked mapquest and it's only about fifteen minutes away." The rest of the ride was relatively calm. Not too calm of course; Aoi _was_ in the car.

When we got there, both the girls clambered out. Aoi started doing cartwheels, throwing her body through circle after circle. Hikaru's turquoise eyes stared blankly after her.

"You should conserve your energy for the rides," I reminded her.

"If you fall asleep because you're tired, I'll leave you on a rollercoaster."

Aoi stopped herself and pouted at her twin. "You can't get to the park if you don't use enough energy to ring the bell." Hikaru calmly approached the gates protecting the mansion and pushed the button on a stone pillar beside the gate.

A female voice came over the intercom. "Hello, who is this?"

"The Sakura sisters, to go to the amusement park with Youichi."

The gates opened as the intercom crackled again. "Please come in, Youichi is excited to spend the day with you two." We walked through, deciding to leave the car outside and enjoy the beautifully landscaped grounds.

The expansive grounds were very impressive. It must take at least four gardeners to keep the grounds from becoming overgrown, but even then, this place would be stunning. Several varieties of blossoming flowers filled the air with a light fragrance, wafting towards us with a gentle fall breeze. I had expected something more condo-ish, but this was like a small piece of Eden. We reached the house after several minutes, and I stopped in front of the two, large double doors, intimidated. Were we just supposed to knock?

Aoi knocked on a normal sized door off to the side that seemed more welcoming. A muffled sound came from inside.

"Misaki, door!"

"You... closer!" This voice came from deeper in the house.

"Misaki, this was your bribe!" The first voice now sounded angry.

"...bad! He's your..."

Everything was quiet, and then the door opened. A gorgeous male stood there in dark denim jeans. In less than five seconds I took in his body: clean toes peeking out from designer jeans, a yummy V-line rising from his waist, a well-defined abdomen and a muscular chest. Unfortunately, I also took notice of crimson eyes that had just watched me stare at his body.

"See something you like?" I will never know how I kept a calm expression; inner Mikan was having a major spaz attack.

Damn! Damn damn damn! _Of course_ he noticed me staring! It's his body, idiot! How could I be so stupid! Baka baka baka! "I do. You have a lovely home."

"And you want it to be yours as well?"

"Are you offering to sell?"

He leered at me, "sell what?"

"Why the house. There's nothing else I can see worth selling." I glared at him for emphasis.

"I might believe you, if you weren't bright red."

I looked down at my white blouse and skinny jeans. "Huh?"

Hyuuga pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're blushing. Anyway, Youichi's upstairs." He turned and walked away. Apparently, we were supposed to let ourselves in.

I was hoping my little sisters wouldn't tease me too much. "Alright guys, have a good time, and call me when you're ready to come home." I hugged them and headed back to my car.

"Wait!" That girl, Permy, came running down the hall.

"What's up, Perms?"

She seemed slightly disgruntled. "What! My name is Sumire!" She paused. "You don't have to go right now, do you? We're going to have brunch after Misaki leaves with the kids, we would love to have you join us."

I was surprised at her invitation. Since our first meeting at the bar, she didn't seem to like me very much. "Um... I would love to, but I've already eaten."

"Well then, would you join us and keep me company?" I found sincerity in her face. For some reason, she wanted me to stay.

"You sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Nah, not at all. Please make yourself at home." She left the way she came as soon as I nodded my confirmation. Strange for someone wanting company.

Assuming I was allowed to wander around a bit, I headed for the nearest source of noise. Following the noise down a flight of stairs, I found Ruka and Natsume playing a video game. Natsume was beating Ruka with quite a margin, but Ruka was also chatting with an older girl with redish hair, whereas Natsume's full attention was on the TV screen.

Natsume was still shirtless. I didn't know whether this was a good or bad thing.

I cleared my throat gently. Ruka looked up and saw me. "Hello. Are you doing well?"

"Yes. How are you?"

"I am fine. Oh! Mikan-san, this is my friend-"

The beautiful girl cut him off. "Misaki. Pleased to meet you."

I bowed slightly in respect. "P-Sumire," I said, figuring I should use her name, "invited me to join you for brunch."

"That's great." Ruka smiled warmly at me. "Now, I will let you and Misaki talk, while I try to catch up to Natsume."

Natsume smirked. "Futile attempt, I'm afraid."

* * *

><p>Hikaru<p>

"Aoi! Hikaru! You're here!" Youichi seemed genuinely surprised. I felt sorry for him that he could invite someone without expecting them to show up. Another boy was in his bedroom, and he seemed relatively bored.

"Of course. You invited us, did you not?"

"Yeah, I just..." he trailed off in embarrassment, pink blotches staining his cheeks.

Aoi saved him. "Who's this?"

"Rinji." Mr. Bored raised his hand.

"Oh." Aoi seemed slightly put off by his attitude.

Someone knocked on the door frame. "Hey y'all, ready to head out?" A model stood in the doorway. I estimated her to be Tsubasa's age, though she was a little bit shorter. "And what are your names?"

My sister beamed at the pretty, young adult. "Aoi. Hyuuga-to-be."

"Youichi, you proposed already? I thought you would at least finish high school first!" The seventh-grader bowed his head to hide his face, but the tips of his ears poked out from under his silver hair, and they were bright red.

When Aoi's mouth opened again, I decided she needed a lesson in tact. "Not Youichi! Natsume!"

The redhead was stunned and stared at Aoi for a minute before composing herself. "Anyway, my name is Misaki Inoue, and I'm..." She glanced worriedly at Aoi, wondering if she would explode at the mention of Natsume.

Despite her obvious discomfort, Aoi finished her sentence. "Natsume's manager! You're so much prettier than I thought you would be."

"Thanks... um... what's your name?" Her eyes fixated on me.

"Hikaru Sakura."

Youichi sensed the silence settling over us; he grabbed Aoi's hand and pulled her out of the room. Rinji followed them, and Misaki were alone for a moment. I stood quietly, watching her become lost in her thoughts. Connecting the dots at this point was easy. "Harada, let's go. They're waiting." She nodded and led me out of the mansion. Misaki didn't notice my use of her true last name.

* * *

><p>Natsume<p>

_BLACK CAT WINS!_ flashed across the top of the screen. Again. I would have felt sorry for my best friend, but... nevermind; I wouldn't. He didn't deserve my remorse.

Sumire came and pulled us out of the basement. I liked the perks that came with being a famous artist. I glanced at the gorgeous girl standing between Ruka and Sumire. Definitely some perks. It was fun to make this girl blush, the pink tint contrasted nicely with her lightly tanned skin. And now, thanks to Sumire, I had all of brunch to make her blush. Damn, this would be fun.

Mikan's caramel eyes widened as we heard a thunderclap. "Shit! I left the truck's windows open!"

For some reason, her franticness caused my mouth to open, and the offer popped out before I could stop it. "I'll walk you to your car." I silently raised an eyebrow at myself. I didn't want to get wet!

She looked at me as though I had single-handedly saved her puppy from a fire. "Really?" To which I badly wanted to say no, but my head seemed to have a mind of its own as I nodded yes. At least I didn't have some dopey expression on my face. Ruka raised an eyebrow, and Sumire watched my face intently, probably hoping some lovesick emotion would proclaim itself. "Alright. Thank you!" She turned and walked towards the door. Without looking at my friends, I followed her a few paces behind, sneaking glances down to watch her gentle hips sway from side to side in cadence with her footsteps. I grabbed a hoodie to cover my bare torso. As soon as we left the shelter of the overhang, raindrops began to pelt us. It was more a storm then a spring rain, and we were both soaked within moments.

Her loose, flowy white blouse was now plastered to her skin. I simply continued to trail behind her, watching the silhouette of her gentle curves.

As we neared the front gates, I noticed several reporters. I guess having an unknown car parked out front is news. Am I really that unsocial? They had plastic ponchos on, and vaguely looked like they had been in a slip-n-slide accident. I glanced at Mikan. Her bra was showing through her wet shirt, and I had no doubts that that image would be in the tabloids tomorrow. I gave a long suffering sigh at what I was about to do.

I pulled my hoodie off and threw it at her head. "Whaa!-" I clamped my hand over her mouth and whispered, "The reporters. Put this on and head back to the house." I reached my free hand down and started patting her pockets, searching for her keys. When I found them and stuck my hand in her back pocket, she squeaked. I gave her butt an extra squeeze before giving her a gentle shove towards the mansion.

The reporters hadn't seen Mikan, so I only had to deal with the car. I rolled up the windows and locked the car, and even got the satisfaction of pushing a reporter out of my way.

When I got back, Mikan hadn't gone inside. She stood on the doorstep, sopping wet, her hair in loose ringlets around her face. A flash of lightning illuminated the world for a split second, and Mikan's face lingered in my mind in the relative darkness that followed. "Natsume?" There was a quiet, curious tremor in her voice. My hoodie dwarfed her small frame, and I wanted to press my lips to her cold, shivering ones and feel them respond, to feel her warm hands pull on my hair. If it was a random fangirl, I would have followed my instincts. But this one wasn't my fangirl. And the damnable pride of Natsume Hyuuga doesn't allow for rejection. "Umm... you're getting wet... here, do you want your hoodie? I didn't even realize I still had it on. It's a very nice hoodie, it kept me warm, and you're probably cold, I'm sorry,-"

I stopped her from babbling. "Keep it." I pushed past her into the mansion, then hid myself in my room.

**Wow, what a long chapter! Don't you think it deserves a review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, so sorry about the long wait. School was horrid with the end of the year exams, and it probably will be even more so next year, since I took more AP classes than this year, but I still feel really bad for abandoning my story for so long. Not making any promises, but I'll try to update quicker.**

**~Arian**

**SATURDAY**

Mikan

Natsume hadn't come downstairs for the rest of the morning. I still had a great time, spending my free time with my new friends. Permy was nice enough, though bossy, Koko was always one for a good laugh, and Ruka was shy and had a really kind heart; but it was all too easy to find myself thinking about the boy locked away upstairs. A strange sort of worry had continually gnawed at me, thinking perhaps I had offended him.

But as I was driving home on an empty back road, I could no longer keep my mind off our strange moment in the rain. The look Natsume had given me had…it had seemed… almost seemed like he wanted to kiss me. And the worst of it was that a small tugging in me wanted him to. I shook my head to clear the confusing thoughts and flipped on the windshield wipers. The rain on the car's window put up less resistance than the thoughts. Natsume seemed determined, to stay in my mind, to plague my life. Even his smell stayed in my car, and I found myself suffocating in his unique, rich smell.

For a brief moment I entertained the idea of dating him. Romantic, beautifully happy scenes quickly swirled through my head featuring the crimson-eyed singer and myself.

"No!" I slammed on the brakes and dropped my head to the steering wheel, breathing rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "No no no." I couldn't become a fangirl. Especially not if he fancied me. "No…" I moaned softly. Because then my heart would be too open to heartbreak

I realized after a moment that I still had on Natsume's hoodie. I blushed a deep red in mortification, wondering what his friends must have thought about that. I started to yank it off my head, but it caught around my neck and didn't want to come off. A few more hard tugs and I was able to slip it off, but then my hair was tangled in one of the buttons. I began to curse the makers of the hoodie. Who puts buttons on a hoodie, anyway? I couldn't unknot the snarl in my hair and I simply cut off the end of that strand of hair in frustration.

I took a deep breath and began to drive carefully, changing my route. I needed someone to talk to, I needed a guy's perspective, and I needed a close friend. I drove to Tsubasa's house.

I parked in the nice, suburban neighborhood. On the second ring of the doorbell, Tsubasa came to the door. "Hey Mikan –wait, what's wrong? Come in." He stepped back from the door to let me in. I followed him to his living room couch and broke down. Tsubasa sat beside me and pulled me to him, cradling me. "What's wrong, imotu-chan?" His voice was gentle and calming.

"I don't want to like him! He's a horrible bastard who's just going to hurt me! And as s-soon as he finds out that I'm at-ttracted to him, he's going to humiliate me! I-I don't want to- to…" My voice was hoarse and barely audible, muffled by his shirt and my own emotions, my exclamations punctuated with sobs. I felt my tears dampen, then begin to soak the front of his shirt.

Tsubasa rubbed calming circles on my back, attempting to alleviate my distress. "Who's 'he'?"

"Hyuuga… I can't be h-his fangirl!"I buried my face in Tsubasa's shirt.

"Shh… everything will be alright. Shh…"

After my crying subsided, Tsubasa pried the car keys from my hand and stood up. "Come on, imotu-chan; let me drive you back to your place."

* * *

><p>When I got inside my apartment door, I reached for my bag for work. Tsubasa and I are both senior employees, so we get to pick our hours. I usually have nothing better to do on slow days like this –when Aoi and Hikaru aren't here- so I often spend my free time at work. Right now, I could use a distraction.<p>

Tsubasa, however, didn't seem to share my opinion. He tugged the purse out of my hands. "No," he replied to my shocked expression.

I put my hands on my hips. "No, what?" Now I was angry. He had no control over me.

"No, you can't go to work. You are clearly upset, so you need to rest." Tsubasa hung my purse up on the hook beside the door, and herded me towards my room. He pulled the curtains closed over the window and blocked out the gray storm clouds and the beading of rain on the window, though the steady beat of the droplets against the windows permeated my distressed thoughts and worked to soothe my panic.

"I'm not tired…" A yawn punctuated the end of my sentence. I scowled inwardly at my traitorous body. My confusing emotions had worn me down, and this weakness was Hyuuga's fault. "I don't need a nap, Tsubasa. I'm not a kid."

Tsubasa smiled wistfully. "I know an adult who loves naps. And besides, you don't have to sleep. Just rest. I'll cover for you at the bar." I began to protest again, but my senpai cut me off. "Please Mikan? I wish I could make Hyuuga feel your pain, but I can't. So I'm going to do my best to take care of you." The pleading gleam of his dark blue eyes compelled me to agree.

As I considered the situation, trying to decide between the indignant anger at being coddled and the little girl inside me who wanted a parent, Tsubasa read the emotions off my face. He stepped closer to me and brushed a hand down my cheek and neck to my shoulder. "Allow me to take care of you, kouhai. Pamper yourself and don't think about anyone else's problems. You do that enough." Agreeing with his reason, I nodded my consent to stay and balance my emotions. Tsubasa leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead. "I love you, Mikan. You're my little sister. And I want to protect you as much as I can from the many boys who will try to break your heart."

I wrapped my arms tightly around Tsubasa and felt his warmth, his love. Rarely did anyone see past the jokes and the casual affection to the man inside, who wanted, needed, the strong bonds of the love between close friends. "I love you too, Tsubasa." His arms wrapped around me, drawing me to him for the second time that day. I breathed in his comforting scent.

After he left, I curled up on the couch and watched the dim light filter through the curtains, as the storm grew in the distance.

* * *

><p>Misaki<p>

The rain never reached the amusement park, which was good. Not that I didn't enjoy spending time with Youichi, but kids in general weren't my thing. Neither were loud, crowded places. So it was good fortune that it hadn't rained, because then the rollercoasters would have been shut down and I would have to take Youichi and his friends another day, to fulfill my part of the bribe.

The one younger girl, Hikaru, seemed to know something. Her appraising looks and her observant nature had made me uncomfortable. I was a little worried about just what she could possibly know.

I had dropped the kids off at the mansion, planning on running some household errands. While I had come to live with the Hyuuga's through business, and I didn't have to do any chores, I still was more than willing to pull my weight. It made me less of a business partner and more a part of the family. I had a shopping list to restock the fridge, Sumire wanted a new shade of purple nail polish ("Lilac passion, Misaki. That mauve color isn't going with any of my clothes, and it's all wrong for my skin tone"), and Koko wanted the latest playboy magazine. Honestly, that boy needed a girl in his life to set him straight. Koko was the baby of the family, reckless and free-spirited, his inclination toward obnoxious suffered through good-naturedly.

First, however, I was on a personal errand. I hadn't gotten to see Nobara on Friday, when Natsume had performed at The Hidden Secret, and I missed my best friend. She had remained as such through a difficult period in my life, and she would stay my best friend until the world came crashing to a halt. Our jobs and lives kept us separate, with our work schedules, but we tried to make time for each other when we could.

It was a testament to our friendship that she had left the decision in my hands when Tsubasa moved back to his childhood home and come to her looking for work. Being the mature person I was, and since I was completely over that man, I had told her to go ahead and hire him. Even though I had moved on entirely, I found myself suddenly busy when opportunities arose to visit Nobara at her bar. Knowing Nobara's sit-on-the-sidelines-and-observe personality, and knowing how well she knew me, I assumed she knew why I rarely dropped by The Hidden Secret, but neither of us brought it up when we got together elsewhere.

When she requested to have Natsume play, I had jumped at the chance, knowing it would be good for Natsume's image to have him play at the smaller venues. I had also become in desperate need of a drive out of town that very same Friday.

I had noticed the bar was closed early this morning when I passed it and I made up my mind to come here later and visit Nobara. I surmised that it would be open by the evening for the Saturday night crowd, and I was glad to be back before the bar opened. I pulled up near the back door of the bar and parked. The rain had slowed to a steady drizzle, and I hurried to the overhang of the door. The door was unlocked, so I simply walked in. As I passed through the hushed, vacant building, I heard some noise coming from the manager's office. "Nobara?"

The noise stopped. Without an answering call, I knew it would not be Nobara who was in there. Was it a robber? I crept forward stealthily, inching my way down the hall. After a few moments, the rustle of paper and gentle clink of metal cabinets began again. It sounded like someone was going through Nobara's files. I peered around the doorway, fully expecting to fight whoever was snooping through my sweet, kind friend's stuff.

Instead, I found myself sprinting back down the hallway, frantic to escape this place. My heart had clenched itself into a small little ball to block the sudden flooding of pain at the sight of the handsome man with shaggy navy blue hair, and the sudden surprise on his face as he noticed me.

I could hear his footsteps behind me as he raced to catch up. "Misaki? Misaki!" I reached the door that would allow me to save myself and fumbled almost hysterically with the doorknob.

Two strong arms wound around me, encircled me and held tight against his chest, his warmth seeping through both my shirt and his. I couldn't even move; his solid grip was bringing buried memories to the forefront, and I gasped at the agony those memories still held. His embrace held me captive, but the sense of safety that I always felt in these arms sent a knife straight through my heart. I wasn't safe here. Not now. The memories and the safety was in the past, and now all these arms held were pain.

"Let-" I cleared my throat and began again, in what I hoped was a commanding tone, instead of a pleading one, "Let go of me, Tsubasa!" At the sound of the obvious ire in my voice, his hold loosened and then fell away. I tried again to open the door, but a familiar hand reached around me and held the door shut. I wouldn't be able to remove his hand without fighting him, and I couldn't stand to see his face.

"Misaki?" His confusion bled through to my name, his question.

I gritted my teeth to keep from breaking down and sobbing. I wanted to yield to him, to have his arms slide around me, to know that we were alright. "Let go of the door."

"What's wrong? Look, I don't know whatever it was that I did, but I'm sorry. Misaki, I haven't seen you in almost four years. I've missed you." His words washed over me as his voice, smooth as smoke, caressed me. "Whatever I did, whatever I said, forgive me. Please. Tell me what I can do to make this up to you, and I'll do it. Anything." Now the confusion was deeper, and I could hear a tint of hurt color his voice. He laid his other hand on my shoulder, his thumb unconsciously caressing my collarbone through my thin shirt. I felt the heat of his hand sink into my skin, sparking a fire in my blood. "Please, Misaki."

"Tsubasa-" I knew that if I turned around, I would see the crease between his eyebrows, the frustration causing the crease. If I looked at him, he would give me that crooked smile, the one that made all women want to protect and love him. My eyes prickled with unshed tears. I couldn't stay. I bit my lip to calm the trembling, and wrenched my shoulder from his grasp. "Let go of the door."

"I miss you. I want you back in my life."

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I swallowed convulsively as the ache in my throat intensified. "Just… let go." My voice cracked. He withdrew his hand slowly from where it blocked the door as tears crawled down my face and left cool, wet trails.

I didn't say anything else. I didn't turn around to face the man I had loved as he brokenly called my name. I opened the door and left quietly.

I knew, as I sat in the front seat of my car, that later I would break down, later I would melt into a puddle of self-pity. I had felt the raindrops on my skin, the blasting cold air from the vents, the hair on my arms raise from the chill. But the emotion was locked somewhere else, it wasn't present. I was simply numb.

* * *

><p>Mikan<p>

Aoi had called from Hyuuga's place and begged to stay the night. I was a bit worried at first, with Youichi being a boy and all, but, I rationalized, if I had had a more normal childhood, I would likely have been to a few boy-girl sleepovers as well. Plus, Misaki and Permy both seemed responsible enough. I told both my sisters that I loved them and to enjoy their night, and had spoken to Permy about what they were and weren't allowed to do.

My enforced me-time had thoroughly relaxed me, and I had gotten quite a bit done. I hadn't been able to stay down for too long, so I had overhauled my closet, cleaned the bathroom, and then gone for a run. I loved jogging in the rain, the world was always much quieter. I had just finished a long, hot shower, and as I pulled on a worn t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajamas, I decided to start on a history paper. It was early in the evening, and after the episode this morning with the brunch, and my little breakdown in the early afternoon, the normalcy was welcomed.

However, the ringing of the doorbell interrupted my plans. I considered not answering, but I figured it was probably one of my apartment neighbors. I twisted my wet hair into a messy bun, and answered the door.

"One date. I'm paying. Let's go." A beautiful seventeen year-old reached to grab my wrist.

I moved out of the way in time to avoid being dragged from my apartment. "Wait," I put a hand to my head to slow the onslaught of thoughts that rammed into my poor head and caused an instant headache. And I had been _so_ relaxed, I thought sadly. Mourning the loss of my me-time, I focused on the figure in my doorway. "Why? I'm not dressed and …why?"

Natsume grinned at me. "You have to at least give me a chance to prove how awesome I am." His smirk said he could easily win me over.

I frowned at his confidence. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"_No_, I don't."

"_Yes_, you do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"What's behind your back?" The sudden question caught him off guard.

Natsume grimaced. "Flowers. Sumire's… suggestion." He thrust a handful of pretty sakura blossoms on branches towards me. "They should probably be in a vase."

I sighed. "I suppose I have to invite you in now, right?" He lifted a single eyebrow at my hesitation. He seemed to have exhausted his supply of verbal communication, and was unwilling to speak anymore than absolutely necessary. "Well, come in. But don't get comfortable," I snapped, my patience suddenly gone, "I'm going to kick you out in a moment." He followed me into the kitchen area as I searched the cabinets for a suitable vase. Finding a glass pitcher, I filled it partway with water and placed the flowers in it.

I turned back to face the attractive singer who was leaning against my counter tops. He didn't seem to be going anywhere in a hurry. "So what do you want?"

Natsume's expression said he was contemplating my mental state. "A date."

I shook my head violently in denial. "No thanks."

He crossed his arms across his chest as a stubborn look settled on his face. "I won't leave unless you're with me."

After I stared at him for a few moments without response, I gave up. "You really aren't going to leave until I agree." He smirked at me. I glared at him and at my own weakness to this male. "I'm going to change, and if I catch you peeking or anything…" I let my threat hang in the air as I waited for a reply.

"Don't worry." He smiled angelically. "You won't catch me."

* * *

><p>Natsume sighed. I was avoiding conversation ever since I noticed the way his eyes roamed over me when I was wearing a frilly black skirt and a baby blue blouse. I suppose it was partially because I had done my hair nicely, and didn't have the added effect of pigtails to make me look younger.<p>

I felt uncomfortable. I didn't catch the attention of the opposite gender. I had no curves, I wasn't sweet and demure, I didn't exude sensuality. I rarely even flirted. I'd only been on a few dates.

I snuck a glance at him. We were walking in the park a block from my apartment complex. I had refused to get on his motorcycle, and this was the only place within walking distance that Natsume deemed acceptable. He seemed rather uncomfortable with the silence, but neither of us had much to say.

He sighed again. "Come here," Natsume commanded, extending an arm towards me. I had stayed, so far, on the opposite side of the wide path that wound through the park, not wanting to accidentally come into contact with him. I watched the arm skeptically, but made no move towards him or his arm. "We're on a date, remember? You could at least pretend to have fun." Natsume wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tucked me under his arm. His long sleeve shirt felt soft against my skin.

It wasn't a horrible place to be, I contemplated ruefully as I unconsciously snuggled closer. I could think of a few worse places.

"How do I know you don't just want to get into my pants?"

He smirked. "I do want to get into your pants. But not just." Natsume's smirk faded and his scarlet eyes flashed sideways at me. "As for how you can know… you can't."

While his reassurance provided little comfort, I still found myself trusting him. Something about how he had smiled at Aoi and Hikaru when he first met them, and his politeness to Nobara at the bar, and the way he had dealt with the two girls who had hurt both Youichi and Aoi. But then I remembered his arrogance and pride. _Just one date, Mikan, that's all_, I cautioned myself. _He isn't promising you forever. _Still, I couldn't forget one encounter; the moment in the rain. The almost kiss.

Natsume continued to watch me, and I vaguely wondered what he was waiting for me to do; demand a guarantee? I wasn't sure I wanted one. Push him away? I did that, he came back. Run away? He had tracked me down.

"Hey, how did you know where I lived?" I watched his face curiously, hoping I would be able to detect it if he lied to me.

Natsume gave me the look again; the one that questioned my mental abilities. "Both your little sisters are at my house right now. I asked them. It wasn't difficult."

I bobbed my head. "I guess that should have been obvious."

We walked on a little while longer, enjoying the pretty trees with the shades of gold, jade, and ruby. The silence was more comfortable now, and as the fall breeze rustled the leaves I felt Natsume pull me more tightly against him.

We approached a large pond in the park, and I noticed some white birds on the water's surface. As Natsume and I got closer, I pointed them out. "Oh! They're so beautiful!"

"Hn." His impassive response did nothing to deter my excitement.

"We should feed them! Do you have any bread?" I looked at Natsume hopefully.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I have any bread?"

I frowned at him for being a jerk. He found a park bench and sat back to watch me as I cooed at the majestic swans. I fell silent as one glided elegantly closer. "Natsume," I whispered to him, "she wants me to pet her." I heard Natsume's amused snort. When the regal bird was almost within my reach, I leaned forward on the grassy bank of the pond, and shifted my feet slightly so that I could extend my reach a few extra centimeters. I slowly, carefully stretched out my hand, not wanting to scare the graceful creature.

And got bit by the stupid animal.

And lost my balance. Of course, I didn't fall backwards onto the soft, _dry_, grass. No, I fell forward into the water and managed to completely drench myself in the barely knee-deep water.

When I finally stood up, I was simply grateful that swans didn't have rabies, and that I had opted not to wear a white shirt.

My _date _stood on the bank of the pond, where I had been moments before. He watched me with barely concealed amusement in his eyes, though his face was schooled into an appropriate expression.

"Here." Natsume offered me a hand, and I briefly contemplated pulling him in, but I figured that that would be overly childish…

"Thanks." I grasped his hand and allowed him to pull me out of the pond. Then I stood there for a moment, dripping on the bank. "What now?" Natsume stared at me blankly. "Well, I can go home and change. Natsume?" The young man before me apparently hadn't listened to what I was saying.

Natsume did, however, have his own idea of how to go about this situation. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the park to the edge of the road where the park met the urban area. "Wait." Natsume made a 'stay here' gesture, and crossed the road before I could say anything.

I pulled my arms across my chest in frustration, then quickly uncrossed them when the wet fabric of my shirt touched my chilled skin. I stood there shivering for a moment, wondering why I hadn't grabbed a jacket. After another moment, I began to list in my mind why I had no reason to trust Natsume.

I had just decided to simply go home, make myself hot chocolate, and pretend this horrid day never happened, when a motorcycle pulled up next to me. "Get on." The command was simple, straightforward.

"I'm wet. I'm already cold. If I get on, I'll be colder."

"We won't be going far."

"Where are we going?"

"Just get on." Natsume was exasperated now, and at my continued reluctance, he tugged on my arm to pull me on behind him. As I seated myself properly, Natsume gave me a grin over his shoulder. "Hold on, or you'll fall off."

I threw my arms around his waist in fear of tumbling off the end of the motorcycle. Natsume started the engine, and I squeaked in terror before burying my face in the crook of his neck.

I might have enjoyed the ride, but the air rushing past us did, as I had predicted, make me colder, and going around corners was terrifying because of the strange tilt. I couldn't focus on anything but preventing my imminent death.

Several blocks down the road, we stopped. "Mikan." Natsume tried to loosen my death hold on him. "You can let go now."

"Oh." I looked around, confirming that we had indeed stopped, and noticed that Natsume had stopped outside a Laundromat. I pried myself off him, reminding myself that motorcycles were safe. "Sorry about… that." I blushed at the panic that the machine had induced in me.

"You don't like motorcycles?" Because I was still shivering, I missed the small smirk on his face.

"I don't like the open feeling. I think next time I'll stick with my truck."

When we got inside the Laundromat, air conditioning hit me with another blast of freezing air. I sucked in a deep breath at the sudden cold. "What is this? It's fall! This place should be heated, not air conditioned!" I wrapped my arms around myself, still miserable, still wet, still cold.

Natsume stood in front of a washer, trying to figure out the buttons. He appeared to be somewhat distracted. "Hand me your wet clothes."

I gaped at him in astonishment. "I'm… I'm _wearing _them." I whispered this quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear my dilemma.

Natsume stoically glanced over at me. "I noticed."

"Fine. Then give me your shirt so I can put it on."

"Why should I give you my shirt?"

I glared at Natsume. "Because I'm not going to sit around naked, waiting for my clothes to dry!"

Natsume nodded his head once, then pulled his shirt over his head. Knowing what my reaction to him being shirtless had been before (staring, blushing, embarrassment, and I'm pretty sure I may have drooled a little), I directed my eyes anywhere but the half-naked body in front of me. The ceiling became extraordinarily fascinating.

I nodded stiffly. "Thank you." Then I took the proffered item of clothing and left for the bathroom.

* * *

><p>I came back out of the bathroom. Natsume's shirt was just long enough to cover my bottom, but I tugged it down a little further. "Here." I held out the wet clothes, and Natsume took them and started the washer. "Thanks." I wandered over to one of the flimsy plastic chairs that lined the back wall of the Laundromat, and sat quietly. What do you say on a date when you're sitting in a Laundromat, wearing your date's shirt?<p>

Natsume came to sit beside me. "Do you live alone?"

I glanced at him. "What?"

"You live in a student apartment. That's not too strange, but your little sisters live with you as well." He watched me intently.

Oh. "My parents are dead."

Natsume frowned slightly. "Does no one take care of you?"

"I can manage on my own. I'm not some pampered, sheltered child."

"Just because you can manage doesn't mean you should have to."

I thought about what he had said. "I suppose you're right. Actually, we do have legal guardians, but they leave us to our own devices. Not that they don't love us. We just prefer being… our own family." I smiled, thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Andou. "But sometimes we stay with them. We do over the summer, when the student apartments are closed. It's nice, because they live out in what could be considered the country, but we go on vacation for two weeks every summer. Last year we went to Ireland. It was beautiful. We usually have Christmas here, but we'll still send presents for birthdays."

I fingered the sleeve of the shirt. The material really was soft, and it was much warmer than my wet clothes. My legs were still cold though, and I wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and be warm.

We sat in silence for several moments. The washer hummed, but no one else was at the Laundromat on a Saturday evening. Then Natsume broke the still. "My mother died."

I looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

"I didn't tell you so I could get your pity," Natsume snarled at me. "Just… so you'd know."

I felt a need to say something. "Oh."

Silence fell on us again as I shivered. Soon the clothes were washed, and I got up to transfer them to the dryer. When the dryer started, I felt Natsume's eyes on me.

I turned and found him staring at my legs. Self-consciously I pulled his shirt a little lower. When I sat down again, I squirmed awkwardly to cover myself, tucking my calves under me and sitting on them.

"You're going to stretch my shirt out."

"Sorry." I stopped fidgeting immediately. "You know, it would have been easier to simply go back to my place and change clothes." I folded my hands in my lap.

Natsume looked at me. "You should have mentioned that."

"I did!" Indignant at being ignored, I forgot how cold I was at the moment and turned towards him.

Natsume shook his head. "No, you didn't. Then I would have agreed to that." He suddenly smirked at me. "You just wanted to see me shirtless again."

I felt my eyes grow wider. "No! I said, 'I can go home and change' but _you_ had a better idea!" I poked him in the chest, not allowing myself to get distracted by the fact that it was a naked chest. "_You_ decided to come to the Laundromat!" Another poke. "_You_ made me get on that evil motorcycle!" With an extra hard poke, I made another point. "_You _forced me to go on this horrid date!" Before I could poke him a fourth time, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me securely to his body.

The first reaction was 'escape!', but that response was almost instantly diverted by a better idea; 'warmth, blessed warmth!' In favor of the happier of the two, I simply stayed where I was.

Natsume's body was sending off waves of heat, and my frozen body was more than agreeable to receive his body heat. At the realization that I was currently on Natsume Hyuuga's lap, pressed against his torso, my own body began to heat up rather quickly, but I wasn't exactly eager to move.

My hands were both pressed to Natsume's chest, and I could feel the muscle under his skin, strong and tense. He was tense, I noted.

It hit me a moment later. Natsume was waiting for me to make a move. No matter the situation, being rejected was still humiliating. I could hurt him, at least wound his pride. I wonder if he had considered that before he had grabbed me.

I was tense, too, and that had to be making him wary. But I couldn't think through the situation calmly when I was pressed to such a magnificent testimony to the male species.

No more than a second had passed since he had pulled me to his lap, and only two had passed when Natsume spoke. "Has the date really been horrid?" His voice was completely even, no inflections, but I could tell he was angry, and possibly offended.

It took me a moment to remember what I had said in my anger. Then I felt ashamed. "No. No, it was fine until the stupid animal bit me-"

"Not, 'the beautiful animal?'"

"No. That bird had to be stupid to swim over just to bite me." Natsume relaxed under me. I recognized that he had distracted me from my anger and my own tension. I paused. The image of Natsume making other people feel better didn't fit in with the image of the arrogant jerk that I assumed he was.

I admitted, privately, that maybe I had the wrong image.


End file.
